Orphans of War
by darkchakram
Summary: Xena/Ares romance. Xena and Gabrielle come to the aid of a group of children orphaned when a warlord massacres their village.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Orphans of War

Author: darkchakram

Rating: R (for now, maybe M later)

Disclaimer: Not mine, just need to keep my creative juices flowing.

Spoilers: Takes place after Jappa so everything is game. BTW Xena gets her head back!

Summary: Hate this part! Xena and Gabrielle come to the aid of a group of children left orphaned when a warlord massacres their village.

Pairing: Xena/Ares. Xena and Ares are at the heart of this story even though it may take him a while to make an appearance. This is a work in progress. I am currently working on this story and re-working an older fic. I plan on updating weekly.

Xena could smell the stench of seared flesh and smoldering bones well before she and Gabrielle crested the ridge. She knew the destruction was going to be total and complete. They had ridden hard since sun-up. Xena had first noticed the smoke in the distance as Gabrielle was starting their own fire for breakfast. She had quickly told the bard to forget the fire, they could eat some dried meat as they rode. She knew from the amount of smoke and it's sickly dark color that it was more than just a hay field fire. Someone, somewhere was in trouble. The rode eastward for most of the morning and then turned northward to look for a good place to ford the Strymon river. The closer they came to the billowing smoke, the more relaxed Xena became. It wasn't Amphipolis. Her family tomb would be safe. Others, however, had not fared so well. By the time they reached the last rise leading into the valley below, the smoke had mostly dissipated but the smell of death permeated the air.

"Whoa girl," Xena pulled Argo to a stop atop the ridge.

"Oh Xena," Gabrielle sighed as she dismounted. "It's terrible," she cried eyeing the remnants of the massacre below.

"It's war Gabrielle."

"I know but I never get used to it," she shook her head, "do you think Ares is responsible?"

They'd had very few run-ins with the god of War since he had brought Xena back against her will from Jappa. She had been infuriated with the deal he had struck with the Japanese gods to release her. She had told him that they were finished. And she had meant it this time.

"Yes, of course he is responsible. If not directly, I am sure the warlord who ordered this did it to curry favor with him," she answered disgusted with the carnage below.

"Do you think there are any survivors?" Gabrielle grabbed a wine skin from Argo's packs, took a drink then handed the skin to her partner.

"I doubt it. I see both women and children among the dead over there," Xena pointed to a group of bodies that looked like they were slaughtered as they tried to run away from the village toward the river. The fire had spread the other way, sparing their bodies. "Whoever did this, didn't do it for profit or they would have sold the women and children into slavery. No, whoever did this did it for kicks."

Xena placed the wine skin back in Argo's pack and patted her on the hind quarters, signaling that the horse was free to roam. "We should grab those people and build them a proper funeral pyre. There's nothing of the village left and not a lot to be done with the charred remains except add them to the others."

Gabrielle nodded and headed down the hill toward the trail of bodies leaving the village. She hoped against all hope that Xena was wrong and that she would find them wounded but still alive.

Xena headed toward the forest that stood on the opposite end of the village's gardens marking the former settlement's northern boundary. She called out to Gabrielle, "I'm gonna start chopping some wood for the pyre."

Before Xena reached the woodline, she noticed freshly trampled grass. Survivors? Possibly, but it could just as easy be deserters from whatever army had raided the village. She made a quick visual scan of the forest and proceeded with caution. The dense canopy blocked out much of the sunlight. Xena's eyes quickly adjusted. There were several fallen branches in her immediate vicinity and Xena was thankful that she wouldn't have to chop as much wood as she had originally anticipated. She couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched as she piled the wood together. She scanned the forest once again, looking for signs of human life. She surmised that it could be a god although that didn't feel right. And, it certainly wasn't Ares. his presence was unmistakable. She tingled with electricity when he was near. When she walked to a towering oak to pull some vines to use as cordage for her bundles of branches, she noticed footprints. Two very small pairs of footprints. As she started tracking the prints across the forest floor she saw motion out of the corner of her eyes. She turned to face her pursuer but he quickly ducked behind a large boulder. Xena's quick appraisal judged the boy to be about ten years old.

"You can come out, I'm not here to hurt you," Xena reassured.

The child made no answer. Xena didn't walk any closer for fear that she would spook the child who had already most likely witnessed that morning the murder of his entire village.

"I have food," she promised.

Still nothing.

"Look, I know you're not alone. I saw another set of footprints, smaller than yours. Do you really think you can look after the two of you out here by yourselves?"

"Go away," the boy yelled over the boulder. "Leave us alone"

"I can't do that, I can't, I won't leave you out here by yourselves," Xena tossed her sword and chakram to the ground. "Look, I've put my weapons down, I mean you no harm."

The boy peeked around the boulder and Xena was shocked to determine that though he appeared tall he wasn't quite as old as her earlier estimation. He looked closer to seven or eight.

"Who are you?" the boy asked.

"I'm Xena, my friend Gabrielle is back at your village, we have food and we can help you find a place to stay," Xena was saying as she heard the tell-tell whirling of an object being hurled at her head. She had been too distracted by the boy and his resemblance to another long haired blonde boy to notice the girl who had outflanked her. One rock whacked Xena in the back of the head, the other projectile grazed along her cheekbone instantly drawing blood. In a flash, Xena rolled onto the ground and grabbed her sword, she then rolled to a crouched pose and positioned herself so that she could see both children.

"He said to go away," the girl cried and raised her fist to show Xena that she had her sling and two more rocks ready to fire if Xena did not comply.

"We can take care of ourselves, now leave!" The boy commanded as he edged toward the girl. Xena guessed that she had to be his younger sister. She was five maybe six years old at best. She had the same golden hair as the boy but her eyes were jade green.

"I'm not going anywhere until you at least accept my offer of food and water."

The boy had reached the girl and they looked at each other as if contemplating what to do. Xena knew the best thing to do was to be patient with them. She had every intention of waiting them out but then she heard the infant crying in the distance. The wailing baby forced her into action. She grabbed her chakram with her foot tossed in the air and caught it on the run. She sprinted toward the bawling baby. The girl was quick but not as quick as Xena, her stones missed their mark. The boy picked up a branch to use as a makeshift staff and positioned himself in Xena's path, between her and her goal. Just as Xena reached the boy, the girl had gathered two more stones and was taking aim again. In one swift motion, Xena planted her feet and somersaulted over the boy. Never breaking stride, she reached the baby before the girl could get off the next shot.

The children turned to find Xena holding the infant who had began to calm with the warmth of Xena's body.

"Are there more of you out here?"

The children looked to the ground.

"Like it or not you're coming with me." She glanced around their small camp. They had built a small camp fire and Xena noticed the remains of a rabbit. Xena had missed the smell of the fire because of the overwhelming stench of the burning village nearby. Evaluating their situation, Xena had to admit that they had done okay for themselves. "Look, I know you're scared and I know you think that you have this under control but you don't. Even though you may be able to feed yourselves, you won't be able to feed her."

"Him," the children corrected Xena simultaneously.

"Him, sorry, does he have a name?"

Reluctantly the girl answered, "Amyntas"

The boy shot her a look which held nothing but disapproval.

She only shrugged her shoulders and replied,"Well, she's right, who is going to feed him? Mother made us promise to look after each other and him. He couldn't eat the rabbit, Iason and I can't feed him like mother but maybe she can," the girl gestured toward Xena's breasts.

"Kallias, I told you, we would head out in the morning for Amphipolis."

"Amphipolis?" Xena asked.

"Our grandfather is there, he will look after us now," Iason answered.

"Great, then, it's settled, my friend and I will take you to live with your grandfather in Amphipolis." Xena extended her hand for Iason to shake. He warily clasped her forearm in agreement.

Twenty minutes later Xena emerged from the forest with three bundles of wood and three kids in tow. She was shocked to see Gabrielle sitting at the edge of the field waiting for her with a badly bruised but breathing brown-haired girl.

As Xena tended to the girl, whose name Xena found out was Daria, Gabrielle cooked some oatmeal to try to feed the baby. Iason and Kallias just stared at the smoldering evidence of their shattered lives.

"That was smart to play dead like you did, you have good instincts," Xena praised Daria as she checked the four year old's bruises for swelling and breaks.

"I was scared when they shot my mom. She told me to keep running but I laid down with her when she fell. I didn't want to leave her," the girl answered in a monotone whisper. Xena had known this child's pain, known all of their pains. Amphipolis had suffered the same fate when she was an adolescent. She had felt the same emptiness when her brother Lyceus had died at the hand of Cortes's soldiers. But her emptiness had quickly been filled with rage. She desperately hoped that none of these children ever walked in her deadly footsteps.

"Your mother will always be with you Daria, remember that. The dead can hear our thoughts. I promise you, she's just happy that you're safe."

When Xena was satisfied that Daria had no broken bones and that the gash on her knee would not require stitches, she began building the funeral pyres.

Xena decided to hit the road in the late afternoon. She thought it would be best to put as much distance between the children and their village as possible. The healing process would be long and hard but having the reminder in the faces in the morning was something Xena didn't want them to bear.

Gabrielle fashioned a baby carrier out of a wrap that she had been using during winter months. She had tried to sell it at the last market they visited. They rarely carried more than was absolutely necessary. Gabrielle thought the merchant was being unreasonably cheap and had refused to sell to him. His greed had fortunately worked in the baby's favor. Iason and Kallias walked alongside Gabrielle. The blonde girl kept her sling tucked into the belt of her tunic. Iason was on high alert, he started at nearly every sound, a flushed bird, a skittering squirrel. When a deer bounded into the road in front of them in nearly scared him out of his boots. Xena had Daria ride with her on Argo after she had noticed her favoring her left foot.

They were at least a days ride from Amphipolis under normal circumstances. With so much of their party on foot however, Xena estimated that it would take them three to four days to reach her hometown. Luckily, Gabrielle had managed to get Amyntas to eat some of the oatmeal but he wouldn't be able to go that long without fresh milk. They rode as long as the sun would allow before making camp.

The group feasted on a stew that Gabrielle made from dried meat and herbs. They rationed out bread and cheese as well. Xena watered her wine down even more and gave all three kids a portion. Gabrielle made some more oatmeal paste for the baby and he suckled at Gabrielle's waterskin.

After dinner Xena added a couple of more logs to the fire. The baby was getting cranky. Xena didn't know if it was from being cocooned in the sling carrier all afternoon or if the oatmeal wasn't filling him up.

"I'm not doing it, it's women's work, I told you that this morning when it happened," Iason bossed Kallias

"But I didn't do a very good job, look," his sister countered as she held Amyntas for him to examine. The baby started wailing.

"What's going on here? Quit fighting," Xena ordered. When she walked over to the bickering kids, the reason for the baby's crankiness became apparent. He reeked.

"Gabrielle, who gets diaper duty?"

"What?"

"The baby," Xena took Amyntas from Kallias and noticed that the poop was beginning to seep out around the poorly constructed diaper.

"Aww, you poor guy, no wonder you were so grumpy," Xena cooed at the infant as she lay him down on a bed of soft leaves nearby.

"Oh yeah," Gabrielle said when she walked over, "that's a messy one."

"Give me your wrap," Xena pulled out her breast knife.

"But, I am using that as a carrier," Gabrielle reminded, "How about Argo's saddle blanket?"

"No, it's too scratchy, it'll tear his delicate skin to shreds," Xena answered.

"Well, we can't use the bedrolls, it's going take every centimeter of them for all of us to have bedding," Gabrielle grimaced.

Xena hit upon an idea, "Hey, I got it! Give me one of your scrolls."

"What, not on your life," Gabrielle vehemently protested.

"What? Gabrielle we have to use something."

"Not my scrolls! Look I know you think it is funny to use them as shit paper but it's not. I have had to do three rewrites because of your bowels!"

"Oh, come on, I only use them in cases of emergency and this is seriously an emergency. They're so absorbent. Give me a scroll," Xena demanded.

"No!"

"Don't be a baby, look it doesn't have to be one of your masterpieces or anything, it can be one of your bombs."

"Bombs? Bombs? Xena I don't have any bombs! All of my stories are masterpieces."

Xena rolled her eyes, "Okay, they are all masterpieces, fine but pick one please, he's oozing."

"Fine! Fine! but you pick, I am attached to them all."

"Okay, how about the one with Ulysses, it's kinda crappy anyway."

"You don't like it?"

"I don't like the way you portrayed me as a swooning fool."

"Did not," Gabrielle huffed, "I only wrote what I saw."

"Did ya now?" Xena challenged, "I think you embellished just a little!"

"Whatever, I'll get it but I am rewriting it and I am rewriting it how I remember it! Got it?"

"Whatever, just give it here."

"You know in the rewrite, I just might make you even more swoony!"

"You wouldn't dare!"

Gabriell just gave Xena a sinister smile and handed her the scroll.

After the diaper fiasco was taken care off, Xena rolled out the bedding and assigned sleeping places. She heard sniffles in the night and hoped that the morning would lessen the pain.

Around noon the following day, the travelers fortuitously crossed paths with a peripatetic merchant who happened to have a nanny goat for sale. The beast sat them back a pretty penny, twenty dinars and a necklace that Gabrielle didn't know that Xena possessed. Gabrielle made a mental note to ask her friend about it later. The most important task at hand was to milk the goat so Amyntas could eat. Xena asked the old merchant if he had come from Amphipolis. Gabrielle's ears perked up when he said that he had come from the other direction and that his last stop had been Potidea.

"Did you say Potidea?" the bard asked as she continued to work the goat's teats.

He affirmed with the nod of a head.

"Did you happen to meet a woman named Lila or her daughter Sarah?"

"Sorry, can't say that I did, but I was only there for an afternoon," he answered.

"It's not exactly Athens, I can't believe you didn't see them," Gabrielle became concerned that something had happened to her family.

Xena gently placed her hand on Gabrielle's shoulder, "As soon as we get these three settled with their grandfather, we'll head there, okay?"

Gabrielle nodded and turned her attention back to the goat.

The salesman declined Xena's offer to stay and have a bite with them. He said he needed to make Phillipi by nightfall. The warrior warned him about the army that had destroyed the children's village. He thanked her and went on his way.

Xena and the children gathered wood, roots, and herbs for their lunch while Gabrielle attended to the baby.

As Gabrielle nursed Amyntas something Xena had said earlier perplexed her. Xena hadn't bothered to address what they were going to do with Daria. Did Xena intend on keeping the child? Gabrielle didn't want to think about how difficult it would be travelling with a child for an extended time. Not to mention the fact that their own lives were in constant peril. She didn't think it was right to bring Daria into that. As much as Gabrielle hated to admit it, the child would be better off in an orphanage if they couldn't find someone in Amphipolis to take her in.

Gabrielle begrudgingly tore another scroll and crafted a fresh diaper for the baby. She was pinning it in place as Xena and the children emerged from the nearby woods with their hands full of goodies for lunch. Kallias had even flushed a couple of birds. One she had skillfully killed with her sling, the other Xena decapitated with the chakram.

Xena had known that the goat was going to slow them down even more but it couldn't be helped. After lunch, they had only made a few miles of progress before the sun began to set. Xena was satisfied that they had at least turned onto the road that trailed through the pine forest that led first to her grandparents' farm and then another five miles to Amphipolis proper. It was starting to feel like home. The smell of the pines, the soft floor of the forest as Xena lay down on her bedroll, and the singing of the nightingales made Xena even more anxious to reach her hometown.

Xena propped herself on one elbow and watched as Gabrielle taught the children to play her silly little acting game. To Xena's surprise the kids absolutely loved it. Even Iason, who was quiet and serious-minded got in on the action. It was good to see them acting like children, Xena hoped that their ability to get wrapped up in the goofy game meant that they would be able put the recent events behind them and lead normal, healthy lives. She admired their resilience and wondered what made her and Callisto so different from them. They had each witnessed the same destruction but had responded so differently. Was it because they were older when their respective villages were attacked? Or was there already darkness lurking in their souls?

"You got it," Iason announced pointing at Kallias, "your turn."

"Hmm," the blond girl cut her eyes up to the night sky and placed her forefinger at the corner of her mouth as she tried to think of something that she could act out.

"Okay, I got one," she stated as she made a decision, "the category is god/demi-gods."

"Good, good," Daria clapped as Iason sat down on the log between her and Gabrielle who was holding Amyntas in the baby sling.

Kallias began her clues by pointing to Iason, Daria jumped to the obvious answer, "Ooh ooh, Iason!"

Kallias just shook her head.

"It's a male god," Gabrielle offered.

Kallias nodded excitedly.

She ran her hand along her jaw and gave a face and held a posture that Gabrielle took to mean she thought the god must be good looking.

"He's handsome?" Gabrielle guessed.

Kallias again nodded indicating that Gabrielle had hit the nail on the head.

"Ares," Xena chimed in to which the rest of the group giggled.

"He's not handsome, he's mean and ugly and does bad, terrible things, Xena." Daria pointed out matter-of-factly.

"Oh, right," Xena answered quietly and briefly lamented that fact that others would always see him as a monster. 'And why shouldn't they?' she reminded herself of all the schemes, all the broken promises.

Xena looked back at the group of kids having so much fun. Kallias had moved on to her next clue. She was making the motion of pulling an arrow from a quiver, then shooting a bow.

"Cupid," Iason answered.

"Yep, you got it," Kallias confirmed as she and her brother once again traded places to continue the game.

As Iason contemplated what he would pick to act out, Xena caught Gabrielle looking at her. She wasn't sure if the look was one of pity or condemnation but she had to excuse herself for a while.

Xena quietly stood and walked away from camp, before she entered the woods she caught one last look of what she was sure was disapproval from her friend.

Xena took off in a furious sprint. It wasn't like she was going off to call Ares for a midnight tryst. She had told him before that their time had come and gone and she meant every word of it. Especially now that he had brought her back against her will! He had made her attempt at atonement nothing more than a shallow gesture. She briefly wondered if had felt that way when she gave him his godhood back. Had he thought that everything that he had done to save her had been unappreciated, done in vain? Her thoughts were driving her crazy. She needed to just quit thinking about him. At least he had had the decency to leave her alone since bringing her back. She had to fight her feelings with every fiber of her being when he was around which was why she had to stay away from him. They were bad for each other. She knew it, he knew it.

Xena continued to tear through the darkened forest. Only her sharp reflexes kept her from tripping and killing herself. She could see a clearing up ahead, the full moon light poured down on a bed of soft grass and wildflowers. Xena slowed her pace becoming breathless. She reached the clearing and put her hands on the small of her back and looked up to the heavens in complete exhaustion. A meteor streaked across the night sky. She could just barely make out the red planet that she always thought of as Ares's star. She could feel his presence. He wasn't there of that she was sure but somehow the air was filled with him. She guessed it was because these were their old stomping grounds. She had first met him not far from Amphipolis. Her earliest conquests were here, funding virtually all of his temples in the area. This close to home, memories of him lurked around every corner. As soon as she delivered those kids, she had to head across the Aegean as quickly as she could.

Why had that silly little kids' game made her react this way? She knew it was more than the game. She didn't want to think about it. She had been repressing thoughts of him since she gave the old trader the necklace. She had seen Gabrielle's questioning look but ignored it. She knew eventually she would have to explain it and quite frankly she didn't want to talk about it, to talk about him. Sometimes she envied those who had visited the temple of Mnemosyne to forget it all. She would never let herself indulge in such an easy release. Plus, if she was honest all of her memories of him weren't bad, some she would cherish forever.

"Gods be damned!" She wailed in frustration. Maybe she just needed a sexual release. Maybe she should just take care of a little business then head back to camp and go to bed. She hadn't had a male partner since she had returned to this body, maybe that was all it was, sexual frustration. Well, when she got to Amphipolis maybe she'd find someone and have a fling. The clearing butted up against a rock face so Xena sat down with her back against the cold granite and just listened to the night. An owl hooted in the distance, a pack of wolves were on the chase and the wind blew endlessly through the tall pines.

She could still smell the fire from their camp. She had run downwind but guessed that she had only run a mile or so. As she stood up to head back to camp, she noticed a familiar rock formation off to her right. She slowly walked to the grouping of rocks then turned and started counting off paces. She passed the spot where she had been sitting and counted another fifteen spaces and saw with delight the opening in the rock wall that she knew would be there. She searched for a suitable stick then cut the shift she wore below her leathers at the hem. She wrapped the cloth tightly around the top of the stick and retrieved a flint rock from a small pouch at her side. Luckily she hadn't removed her armor earlier and her breast dagger was still firmly placed in its holster in her bosom. She put together a pile of dried grass, leaves, and twigs. Then she grabbed her breast dagger and struck the flint across it a couple of times until a white hot spark brought the dry tinder to blazing life. She used the burning tinder to light the torch she had crafted and snuffed out the burning twigs with her boot.

The entrance to the cave was deceptive which was why it had been perfect for her needs years ago. At nearly six feet tall, Xena had to crouch considerably to get past the opening. Within a meter or so, however, the cave opened up to reveal a circular opening nearly ten meters across, the rock roof above could be seen at about half that distance.

The first thing Xena noticed were the furs. They lay askew but in the same spot she had left them. She wistfully wondered if she would still be able to smell him on them thirty years later. Images of the two of them together flashed through her mind. She had to bite her lip to ward them off. Two oil lamps sat on either side of the bed. To Xena's surprise both of them still had oil and the wicks had been kept dry enough in the cave that she was able to light each of them. A closer look at the furs told Xena that she and Ares had not been the caves' last inhabitants. Xena guessed that it was wolf hair but it could have been coyotes or foxes. She realized that coming in here alone might not have been the best decision but she couldn't resist. She sank down on to her knees on the soft bedding. Her feelings were all messed up. They were deeper than she could even tell Gabrielle. It had taken her years to admit to her friend that she had feelings for the war god and though Gabrielle had not berated her as Xena had expected, she knew that Gabrielle would never approve of them together.

"Why?" she asked no one in particular.

The tears came and she let them.

A skittering sound in the back of the cave forced Xena to point the torch in that area. A rodent ran from the light along the arc of the wall toward the cave exit. The light from the torch thrusted in the direction of the back of the cave illuminated the wall art that Ares had painted there years ago. It was their symbols, the ones they carried on their war banners but intertwined on the granite. He had told her then, that it was symbolic of their life threads, forever entangled. A glint of light off of metal caught Xena's attention and she lowered the torch to reveal and old chest. She remembered the chest vividly. She had taken it from King Garcon's treasury when she sacked Thessaloniki. She walked to the chest and busted the lock open with one kick. When she opened the lid, the gems and gold sparkled in the torch light. She rummaged through the gems and metals until she found a simple leather wrist band. It was less than a quarter inch thick, it was the least expensive and least elegant of all the treasures in the box. Yet to her, it was the most valuable. Lyceus had given it to her for her twelfth birthday. He had tanned the leather himself. But where was the pendant she had worn on it she wondered? She tied the bracelet on her wrist, it fit more snuggly than she remembered. She dug deeper into the chest. She found an emerald the size of a goose egg and remembered just how brutally she had obtained that treasure. There were some maps toward the bottom of the chest. She unrolled them and saw both her and Ares's familiar scrawls all over the maps. It was the last campaign they had worked together. As she eyed the plans, she realized just how ingenious they were. They would have been successful if Hercules had not entered her life. Her personal war banner lay on the bottom of the chest, she picked it up and the pendant fell with a thud on the packed floor in front of her boot. She squatted down and picked up the perfect chakram replica. It, like the deadly weapon on which it was modeled, was crafted in genuine Hephaestian metal. Ares had always joked that she could imprison him with that one little pendant. All she had do was slip it on his finger and the power of the metal would bind him. She wondered now if he had been hinting at marrying. The thought would never have occurred to her then because she was so power hungry all she could think of was that she held the power to command the god of war.

Xena placed the pendant in pouch alongside her flint rock. She wouldn't let pendant go again. She told herself she was keeping it because if such a power fell into the wrong hands it could mean large scale death and destruction. She ignored the tingle that the feeling of the metal in her fingers sent through her core.

Xena grabbed a few more pieces of the loot, not for herself but for the children. She intended to sell the pieces to make sure the children were cared for when she and Gabrielle had to leave. She was sure that Iason, Kallias, and Amyntas's grandfather would be more than happy to care for his progeny but a little money would help him out. And, she wasn't sure what was going to happen to Daria but it would be easier to find the girl a home if she had a dowry in tact. She ached to take the emerald but knew that she didn't deserve it and any funds she got from it would be so tainted by the deeds that she had committed that it just wasn't worth it.

She shut the chest and took one last look at the sleeping furs, if she tried hard enough she could still see him lying there in all his naked beauty. His hair was longer then, falling in dark curls around his chiseled face. She remembered their last time together. She had taken charge, mounting him and riding him until she collapsed on top of him. They had slept like that, him beneath her, flaccid inside her. She shook off the memory and stooped down to leave the cave behind her forever. She smudged the torch out on the cave wall and threw it to the ground. When she reached the clearing she threw her chakram at an overhang of rocks that stood several meters above the cave entrance. The rockslide quickly buried the entrance. She pictured the flames of the oil candles dying without oxygen. That's what flames did if you didn't feed them, they died.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter II

As they broke camp the next morning, Xena offered to help Gabrielle rinse off their dishes. While they squatted at the edge of a small stream, Gabrielle's curiosity go the better of her. She had noticed the black leather cord when Xena had trotted back into their camp the previous evening. She assumed that Xena had had another run-in with Ares. Maybe even a sexual rendezvous. The two of them were frustrating. No! Honestly it was Xena that was frustrating. He had been painfully obvious about what he wanted. He wanted her back, no matter the cost. It was Xena that infuriated Gabrielle. Her friend said one thing and then did another. She claimed that she didn't want the god around but every time he was near, Xena seemed a little too pleased for her liking. It was clear to Gabrielle that Xena still sexually desired him. And, since Xena was tight-lipped where he was concerned, Gabrielle assumed that she had lingering romantic feelings for Ares as well.

"You saw him last night?" Gabrielle asked nonchalantly as she dried the metal dish that Xena handed her.

"I most certainly did not," Xena denied the allegation and scrubbed vigorously at the next plate.

"Xena, why would you lie to me like that?" Gabrielle had expected Xena to change the subject or try to subvert the question but the fact that she had outright lied to her pissed her off.

"I'm not lying,"

Gabrielle roughly grabbed the next dish from Xena.

"Hey," Xena warned.

"Don't "hey" me. Xena you saw him, don't deny it." Gabrielle threw her drying cloth to the ground, stood up and walked two paces away.

"I would tell you if I did! I haven't seen him since right after he brought me back from Jappa. I told him I was finished with him or don't you remember that?"

"Oh yeah?" Gabrielle challenged.

"Yeah," Xena stood and walked toward her friend.

"Then explain the jewelry, Xena! First that necklace you traded for the goat and now that leather bracelet," Gabrielle pointed to the black band, her face grimaced in disgust.

"This?, This?"

"Yes, that! Xena honestly, I didn't think you could be bought with cheap trinkets like a tawdry whore!"

"Jealousy's an ugly thing Gabrielle, you might want to get a hold on your little green monster there!," Xena set her jaw and gave herself a second to get her composure. She looked to the ground. Gabrielle did deserve an explanation but Xena wasn't about to talk to her when she was being hysterical. When Xena looked back at her friend, she could see that it was taking all of Gabrielle's control not to burst into tears. She was certain that the only reason Gabrielle had gone quiet was because the bard knew if she said anything she was going to lose any semblance of control she had left.

"Gabrielle, does this look like something Ares would give me?" Xena raised her wrist up so that her friend could examine the leather cord. It showed forty years of wear. It's dark color had faded in a couple of spots and scratches were evident across the entire band.

"No, but I've never seen it before last night. And that necklace, now that looked like something Ares would have given you."

"He did. But this, I found this last night. I don't want to go into all the details right now, we need to get moving but I came across and old cave that I used to use - when I was younger. I went inside, there were still a few things stashed there, I found this. I took it because Lyceus made it for me. It has nothing to do with Ares."

"I'm sorry, I just assumed." Gabrielle took Xena's hand.

Xena squeezed Gabrielle's hand, the next part would be harder to explain.

"The necklace he gave me the last time I saw him. It was a choker. He said the necklace was symbolic for him getting my head back. That it should serve as a reminder that I am not as invincible as I like to think that I am. I reminded him that I willingly died in Jappa. He just smirked and clasped the necklace around my neck. I don't even know why I kept the damn thing."

"Maybe because you knew if was good-bye and you wanted something to remember him by," Gabrielle certainly hoped that was the reason. The sooner that Xena was done with Ares the better off they'd all be.

Xena squeezed her friends hand even tighter,"Maybe that's it, now can we finish these dishes and get on the road already."

"Alright," Gabrielle answered and headed back to the stream to finish the chore.

"We okay?" Xena asked.

"Yeah," Gabrielle smiled but Xena saw little joy in her eyes.

The two women returned to camp to find Kallias and Iason in a furious debate over who was stronger Hercules or Atlas.

"But Atlas holds up the whole world, so technically he even holds up Hercules," Iason exclaimed sure that his logic was unassailable.

"Yeah, but Hercules could do it to," Kallias stuck her tongue out at her big brother, "couldn't he Xena, tell him that Hercules is stronger."

"You're not getting me in the middle of this! Besides Gabrielle knows more about gods and demi-gods than I do, she's a bard after all."

Gabrielle harumphed.

"Yeah," Daria interjected, "Xena thought Ares was handsome."

"Well," Gabrielle answered," actually, he is quite handsome. He is surely dark and wicked but he is very good-looking. See, that's part of his allure."

Xena pretended not to listen as she made last minute adjustments to their packs.

"Did you ever see him?" Iason asked.

"Yes, I tell you about the time that Aphrodite enchanted my scroll after we get on the road, okay?"

The kids were delighted and Xena thought it'd be nice to hear one of Gabrielle's stories in which she wasn't the primary subject, it became embarrassing after a while.

Xena insisted that they eat lunch on the go. They only stopped long enough to milk, Nan-nan, the name they kids had settled on for the goat. Xena also insisted that Kallias and Daria ride with her, she hoped if they picked up the pace a little that they could make her grandmother's farm by nightfall.

Iason didn't complain, he just tried to match Gabrielle stride for stride. He felt like they were getting closer too. He had only been to Amphipolis once with his father last Spring to deliver some grain and turnips to his grandfather. They had stayed two night because the weather had turned unexpectedly bad. This would be Kallias' first time to meet their grandpa.

"I don't think we're too far. There's an old farmhouse around here with a pond that has good fishing. Father and I took grandpa some fish when we visited last year," Iason announced.

"So this is your father's father?" Gabrielle queried.

"No, it's my mother's father but Mother couldn't make the trip last year because she was pregnant. Grandpa promised he would visit us this summer so he could meet Kallias and the baby but his work at the tavern makes it hard for him to travel for very long." Iason stopped to let Nan-Nan nibble at some greenery.

"The tavern in Amphipolis, I thought it was destroyed," Xena was beginning to wonder about Iason's story.

"It was but then my grandfather returned home and started rebuilding his hometown. He said his mother had once run the town's tavern and that no city-state was complete without a tavern, so he opened one in the same spot that hers had been."

Xena brought Argo to a halt, "Iason what's your grandfather's name?"

"Toris," Iason and Kallias replied in unison.

"Toris? Are you sure?" Gabrielle turned to look at the boy.

"His mother was Cyrene?" Xena asked to clarify.

"How did you know?" Iason looked up at Xena confused but kept a tight fist on Nan-Nan's reigns.

"Did your grandfather ever mention his sister? Xena questioned. The boy's resemblance to Lyceus made so much sense to her now.

"His brother and sister are both dead. They were great warriors." Iason answered proudly.

"Well, that's not all true, Iason," Gabrielle gestured to Xena, "this is your great-aunt, Xena."

"What?" Kallias looked up from where she sat in front of Xena.

"Xena is your grandfather's sister," Gabrielle answered.

All three children eyed Xena. She only nodded her head to confirm.

"But he's a really old man, and she's . . ." Iason started.

"I'll explain it all later but it's the truth, she's your aunt."

"Wow, he'll be so happy to see you," Iason cried.

"And I, him," Xena whispered and swallowed hard, "now let's get a move on."

Xena looked at the cord around her wrist and wondered if Lyceus had been trying to tell her something. She looked up to the heavens and smiled, "Yiyi, girl," she ordered Argo.

The setting sun blazed a bright orange behind a row of pines casting the farmhouse in silhouette. It wasn't in as bad shape as they had found it with Ares nearly two years ago but it would need some work if anyone was planning on staying there for any extended length of time. Luckily, they only needed to use it for overnight shelter, they'd be staying with her brother tomorrow night. Xena was excited to see Toris. She hadn't seen him in over thirty years. She guessed that she had just missed him by a couple of months when she had last been here with Ares. Iason said that his father and he had been by this way last Spring and she had gotten Ares his godhood back the previous winter. Could Toris have already been in Amphipolis? Probably so if he had taken the time to rebuild their mother's tavern. Xena had been so preoccupied with getting the golden apples that she hadn't bothered to visit her hometown when she had retrieved Ares from the farm.

Gabrielle helped the two girls off of Argo. Xena could barely contain her excitement when she dismounted. The floorboards creaked when she bolted onto the front porch. There was no light coming from inside or smoke coming from the chimney, so Xena was fairly sure that the place was uninhabited. Still, she opened the door slowly and surveyed the interior before giving the children the go ahead to enter.

"Is this place haunted?" Kallias asked warily as she reluctantly followed Iason and Daria across the threshold.

"No, of course not," Xena reassured. "I'm gonna check the woodpile out back and see if we can get a fire started," Xena was grinning from ear to ear as she walked back out the front door.

"I'll milk the goat and feed the baby," Gabrielle answered but Xena was already gone.

"What do you want us to do?" Iason asked.

"Can you go get the saddle bags and start unpacking the cookware, Iason? Kallias, you and Daria grab some rags and start wiping these surfaces down so we can eat at the table."

The children began doing their assigned tasks and Gabrielle retrieved Nan-Nan, took her to the empty chicken enclosure that they had built for Ares, tethered her and tried milking her which she found difficult with Amyntas strapped to the front of her torso.

"Hi there," Gabrielle heard a familiar high-pitched voice call from behind her. She turned to see Greba walking toward her carrying an infant of her own. A young man, Gabrielle guessed him to be in his mid-twenties, walked by her side.

"Greba, how have you been?"

"Gabrielle, oh just fabulous, meet Malkus, he's my husband and this is our baby girl, Pallas."

"Baby girl?" Gabrielle asked more interested in the infant than the gorgeous blond man.

Greba was disappointed in Gabrielle's reaction. She was proud of her handsome catch and liked to flaunt it in other women's faces. Being stuck out in the country she didn't often get that chance. "Yes, a baby but. . ."

"But nothing, look, we have an infant here, that is in bad need of nursing,"

"Well, uh," Greba was going to protest.

"He was orphaned, we found him in a village a couple of days journey from here. He's only had goats milk for the last two days," Gabrielle unwrapped the baby boy and offered him to Greba.

"I'll take Pallas," Malkus offered and turned to Gabrielle, "what happened to his parents if you don't mind my asking?"

"Their village was destroyed, some warlord, Xena and I haven't had time to look into it, our primary concern has been getting these children safely to Amphipolis."

"Well, they may not be safe there either," Malkus warned.

"Why's that," the bard asked.

"Plague hit there about a month back, we've avoided all contact, everyone in the countryside has. When we first heard you guys come in, we were fearful that you were refugees from there. When Greba saw that warrior woman, she said it was safe, something about this being her grandparents' farm."

Xena came around the corner of the farmhouse carrying an armload of wood. Seeing Gabrielle with the others she placed the logs on the porch and walked over to join them.

Malkus extended his free arm in greeting, "Hello, I'm Malkus."

"Xena, nice to meet you," Xena politely answered and then turned to Greba, "you're nursing that's great. He can certainly use the breast milk."

"Yes, yes," Greba huffed. What was wrong with these women, didn't they notice the stud of a man she had married?"And, Malkus is MY husband."

"Congratulations," Xena responded not sure what Greba was fishing for but settled on a generic complement.

Finally, Greba smiled satisfied that at least Xena appreciated her man's beauty. She turned her attention to the Amyntas who was sucking vigorously at her breast.

"Xena, I have bad news," Gabrielle took Xena by the elbow and gently pulled her to the side.

"What is it?" Xena's brow furrowed in concern.

"It's Amphipolis, Malkus said it was hit with a plague last month."

Xena looked past the treeline toward where she knew her village lay. "Any survivors?"

"Not sure, Malkus didn't say, he just said that everyone was avoiding the place."

"I'm going, I'll leave in the morning," Xena stated.

"Do you think that's safe? With the kids?"

"You misunderstood. I am going, not you, not the kids. I'm gonna go and see how bad it is and see if I can help the sick. We can't run the risk of exposing the children. You will stay here with them."

"Xena my place is by your side. If you are going into danger. . ."

Xena place two fingers on Gabrielle's lips to stop her, "stop, think about these little ones. They've been through enough already. And now it's possible that their grandfather is gone too," a single tear rolled down Xena's check. Gabrielle reached to wipe it away but Xena jerked her head away. She didn't want to be comforted.

"I'll leave in the morning. See if you can get some rations from Greba, I'm gonna grab a bite and try to get some sleep."

When Xena walked into the farmhouse, she handed Iason her flint rock and knife, "do you know how to get a fire started, Iason?"

He nodded, his chest swelled with pride that his aunt Xena was trusting him to build the fire.

"Good, I left some logs on the porch, you should find plenty of kindling out there. I'll be in the bedroom if you need me, Gabrielle's out front with the neighbors."

Daria sensed something was wrong with Xena, "Everything okay?"

Xena squatted so that she was on Daria's level. She twined a strand of the girl's soft brown hair in her fingers and looked into her crystal blue eyes, "everything's gonna be okay, I just have some things I have to attend to tomorrow and you four are going to stay here with Gabrielle for the time being. I'll be back as soon as I can, I promise."

"But what about Amphipolis?" Iason asked.

"I am riding ahead to make sure everything is safe," Xena didn't want to lie to them but she didn't want to worry them unnecessarily with the details either.

"Did that evil army attack there too?" Kallias asked.

Xena respected the astuteness of the question. "No, it's not that, I just wanna make sure it's safe for you guys, especially Amyntas."

The answer satisfied Iason but Daria was still wary, Xena could see it in her expressive eyes. Xena patted her head to reassure her. "Now, I'm going to get some sleep, I want to get an early start."

Xena closed the door to the bedroom and just stood with her back to the door for a minute. She hoped she wasn't too late for Toris' sake. She didn't want to think about losing another brother. What was she going to do with the children if their grandfather was dead?

She decide that she would try to keep a positive outlook. She was letting grief and fear get the better of her and she didn't even know if there was anything to grieve just yet.

Focus, she had to focus. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath to center herself. As always she found him there, at her core. It infuriated her but it calmed her as well. She took a moment to let the feeling wash over her. When she opened her eyes, she noticed that there were blankets already on the bed. They were covered in dust and would have to be beaten out before they could be used. She stripped the bed and tossed them into the corner. She opened the chest where her grandmother had kept the spare bedding. She found a couple of useable blankets and tossed them onto the bed. When she started looking through the pile of pillows at the bottom of the chest she found a linen sleep shirt. She stripped off her armor and her leathers and pulled the shirt over her naked body. The fabric was cool and fit her lengthwise though it was a bit roomy in the chest. It smelled faintly familiar. She took a deep whiff of the fabric and a vision of Ares in the tunic and matching linen pants shot through her like a hot poker. He must have worn the shirt when he stayed there. She debated throwing the garment off but decided she would allow herself the guilty pleasure of luxuriating in the comforting sensations that the shirt created. She would never let him hold her, comfort her but the shirt with his lingering scent and presence was a way to feel him close without dealing with the recriminations in the morning. As she crawled into bed, she didn't know what the morrow would bring but she did know without a doubt that whatever the world threw at her, she would be able to endure it.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter III

Xena left before sunrise. She managed to get dressed in her leathers and armor without waking a snoring Gabrielle or Amyntas who had awoken Xena a couple of times during the night. Gabrielle had graciously tended the baby each time he cried. She knew that Xena wanted to leave for Amphipolis at daybreak. When Xena had left, her companion was sleeping with the baby tucked securely in the crook of her left arm. Xena had made a mental note to do something nice for Gabrielle in the near future.

There was a chill in the spring morning air. Xena endured the cold for a half an hour before deciding that she should pull her heavy cloak from her pack. Clouds to the west promised rain before nightfall. She was certain she would make Amphipolis before the rain hit. Xena hoped the roof was still patched at the farmhouse but she couldn't worry about that now, she had to see how badly her home village had been affected by the plague.

Her breakfast, which she ate on horseback, consisted of dried meat and stale bread. She also enjoyed a fresh apple which she gladly shared with Argo. About half way between the farmhouse and Amphipolis, she passed a field of wild sunflowers. She stopped and harvested some seeds and leaves. The seeds she could snack on and the leaves could be used to make a fever-reducing tea. As she filled her bags she thought of the story of Clytie that Gabrielle had told her. Clytie was in love with the god Apollo but he didn't return her love, in fact he barely acknowledged her existence. Clytie spent her days staring lovingly into the sun. The gods took pity on her and turned her into a sunflower. From that time own, sunflowers have always faced the sun. Xena paused a moment to study the drooping plants. The clouds were blocking out their beloved sun. They slumped dejectedly as if being cut off from their god took all the life out of them, sapped their souls. Xena understood the feeling all too well. "I'm sorry, Clytie" Xena murmured to the flowers as she hacked at their limbs.

A distant thunder rumbled across the mid-morning sky just as Xena reached the top of the hill that overlooked Amphipolis. The first thing she noticed was that none of the fields had been planted. That was bad news because if there were any survivors they were going to have a tough year without any stores put back for the winter. The villagers would not have neglected so basic a necessity if things weren't really bad. Xena urged Argo into a gallop. As she came closer to the buildings she noticed that red Xs had been painted on many of the roofs. She counted only three buildings that had been spared the mark of the plague. One had been the grainery when she had lived there, one the home of the blacksmith, and the last was the decaying remains of the temple to Ares. The temple her father had help build and her military campaigns had helped maintain. Being made of stone it was still the sturdiest structure in all of Amphipolis even with the gaping hole in its side. Xena spotted the new tavern that her brother had built on the spot of Cyrene's old place. It too had the dreaded X blazoned atop it.

"Yi, Girl," Xena pressed Argo to run even harder.

When they reached the edge of the village, Xena pulled Argo to a stop, took off her packs and saddle and told Argo to stay in the fields surrounding the village. She didn't want to put her in any unnecessary danger. Plus, she didn't want to have to fight off any starving villagers who might want to make a meal out of her mare. She kissed her on her nose and patted her backside before turning to walk the last couple of hundred meters into Amphipolis.

She went first to the house where the old blacksmith had lived. She knocked firmly on the door. She waited a few beats and then knocked again, harder. The last knock jarred the door open. The stench was grotesque. Xena slowly pushed it the rest of way and called out, "Anyone home? Can you hear me?"

She heard a faint moaning. She grabbed a scarf from her pack and wrapped it around her mouth. She left her other belongings at the door and proceeded into the house toward the groaning. She found an oil lamp and reached into her pouch for her flint stone only to remember that she had given in to Iason the previous evening. The house was damp and dimly lit. Xena thought it was a perfect place for sickness to fester. She had to get whoever was in here out, pronto.

The moaning became louder and Xena could make out a bed in the far corner of the room. A wispy hand reached out to her and then collapsed onto the floor, it's energy spent. The emaciated figure to which the hand belonged attempted speak, "Go, plague, death," it managed to huff out.

"I know," Xena answered, "now I'm getting you out of here."

"Too late," the poor soul tried to protest. It was then that Xena noticed the two other bodies in the bed. She felt both for signs of life. For them it was indeed too late.

The living body had lost much of it's vigor, to the point that Xena could not even tell if the person was male or female. And from the look of the black pustules that had sprouted on the figure's neck, Xena surmised that death was probably certain but she would do everything in her power to help the miserable wretch.

She tied the scarf tighter around her face, took a deep breath and hoisted the body up. She remembered in cases of serious illness or plague that the village often used the shrine of Artemis as the hospital. Xena didn't pass another living being as she walked her patient across town to the shrine.

She was relieved to smell the aroma of cooking meat and see smoke rising from the chimney of the spacious temple. A single man stood guard at the door. Xena guessed him to be in his thirties. He had short-cropped black hair.

"Who goes there?" The man was wary of the dark stranger with an obviously plague-ridden companion.

"Name's Xena, I found this person in your village, in the old blacksmith's house." The scarf muffled her speech but Xena didn't dare remove it for fear of contamination.

"Tydus, is that you?"

The figure tried to lift it's head.

The guard hurried down the step of the shrine to assist Xena with the infirmed body.

"Lysa," the guard gasped. "where's Tydus?"

"Dead," was all that Lysa could manage to mutter.

"This is Lysa," the guard informed Xena, "she's Tydus's wife, he's the town's blacksmith, their son, Alexus is his apprentice."

"Was," Lysa wailed and went limp.

Xena felt her wrist, "she's still alive but if we don't start treating her, she won't be for long."

"Right," the guard took Lysa from Xena, "I'm Kantar, I've already been through the worst of it. I shouldn't get infected again. You may not want to go in there."

"I'll be careful," Xena reassured. "I've brought some things that might be useful. I can start a tea that will help manage the fevers so that people can heal better."

"Good, good. I'll take you to Marta she's our best healer now that Draven has passed."

"Thank you, Kantar. How many are here at the shrine?"

"Seven, in various stages of the disease. Marta thinks that it is only contagious in the earliest stages, before the pustules appear. The hardest part of the sickness hits after that too."

"I see."

"Here she is. Marta," he called for Marta to come their way as he found an empty cot on which to place Lysa.

"Kantar, how bad?" She asked about the patient. She was all business, tall and graceful Xena could tell she was a forced to be reckoned with even in her advanced years. Her long white hair was bound in a single braid that ran the length of her back. She hardly even acknowledge that Xena was standing there.

"At least stage three," he answered, "maybe beyond that. This woman has brought some things, some herbs that may help," he added.

"Wonderful," Marta answered after she assessed Lysa. She turned to Xena, "do you have healing skills? We can use all the help we can get." The woman eyed Xena. There was something familiar about her presence. She couldn't put her finger on it.

"I do have some experience," Xena answered behind the cloth.

Marta couldn't see much of the woman's face behind the wrap but she had seen those eyes before. That was a blue you just didn't forget.

"I'm Xena," the warrior extended her hand.

"Xena, the Warrior Princess?" 

"Some call me that," Xena desperately hoped that she had not wronged this woman in the past.

"Your brother often did," Marta smiled but there was no happiness in her eyes only loss and grief. It was then that Xena knew that Toris was dead.

After Marta explained that the healthy had not had the time to bury the dead for trying to help the ill, Xena excused herself and went immediately to the tavern her brother had built. He had used the same layout that had his grandfather had used when he erected the original. I didn't take Xena long to find him. She went to where she knew the master bedroom would be. He was covered in black pustules. Some had burst leaving a powdery substance on his skin. Xena hoped Marta's assessment of the disease's contagiousness were accurate because she took off the scarf, set on the edge of the bed, held her brother's hand and wept.

Lightning streaked furiously across the sky, rain came down in sheets, muddying the streets of Amphipolis as Xena carried her brother's body to the family tomb. She didn't have a proper sarcophagus so she enshrouded his body with the sheets from his bedding promising herself that she would build him a pine box as soon as the weather cleared. She would eventually buy him something more appropriate.

While saying her goodbyes to Toris, it occurred to her that his grandchildren were orphaned yet again. What would happen to them? She couldn't just leave them in the arms of a stranger. As kind and capable as Marta seemed, she wasn't family. She didn't know them anymore than Xena did. She'd think about it later. Right now she had to see what she could do to help Marta and Kantar.

Her boots were covered in sludge by the time she made it back to the shrine. She took them off at the entryway.

"It's really coming down, huh?" Kantar stated the obvious.

Xena shook her hair out and retrieved the cloth from the bag to wrap around her face.

"How's Lysa?" Xena asked.

"Still unconscious, it's an uphill battle for her. I've never seen anybody that far gone make a recovery."

Xena appreciated his honesty but she wasn't about to give up on the woman.

Xena found Marta tending to a boy who looked to be about twelve or thirteen. Xena guessed he was old enough to have started a trade.

"There's some broth on the fire and some tea. Wine is in short supply but if you're cold from being in that weather, help yourself."

"Tea'll be fine. The broth will warm me, I'm sure." Xena answered and grabbed a bowl and ladled some soup.

"Who's she?" the boy asked curious about the beautiful new stranger.

"This is Xena, Mikal, she's Toris's sister," Marta felt his brow.

"The Xena, that Xena, you mean the Warrior Princess!" He bolted upright on the bed.

"I thought you were feeling better but lie back down, I'm not finished examining you."

He reluctantly complied but his eyes never left the woman warrior who slurped loudly at the lamb stew.

"Did you really kill the gods?" He asked as Marta checked for any remaining pustules.

"Some of them," Xena admitted but he could tell she regretted it.

"Which ones? Who was the hardest to kill?" He was clearly enthusiastic about the idea that a mere mortal could slay a god.

"It wasn't my finest moment, uh what' was your name, again?"

"Mikal," he answered.

"Mikal, I only did what I had to do because they threatened my family."

"Oh, hey you and me, we're kinda like family."

"Yeah, and how's that?" Xena asked amused by the boy's enthusiasm.

"Mikal was Toris's apprentice. Toris never had any sons of his own and he married his only daughter to a man in a village a couple of days journey from here. So, when Mikal's mother passed three years ago, Toris took him in and made him his apprentice. The inn will be his if he chooses to stay here and rebuild it. "

"You bet I will," he answered.

Xena wondered where the boy's father was but thought it was too personal of a question to ask.

"Okay, you look fine, only a few scars from the pus pockets and no fever. I think you are out of the woods, Mikal. I don't want you leaving the shrine yet, though, okay?" Marta clearly held motherly feelings toward the boy. Xena was glad that her brother had found such a woman. And even though they had been too old to have children by the time they found each other, they had found a happiness with Mikal.

Xena finished the broth with a gulp. She belched and wiped her chin with the back of her hand. Marta smiled at her. Xena's indelicate nature reminded her of Toris's.

"So, where do you need me?" Xena asked.

"Those leaves you brought, they are excellent fever reducers, I've had them steeping for the last half hour. We should try to get Lysa to drink some, if we can get her to come to. She's burning up."

"I'll see what I can do."

Two days later, Lysa was still breathing but they lost two others. Over forty souls had been claimed by the plague. Marta, Kantar, Mikal, Lysa, an old seamstress name Karina, Estor the baker, and two children Dalin, and Cyrena were all that was left of Amphipolis. Karina prayed continuously to Artemis to heal their sick bodies. Xena didn't have the heart to tell her that Artemis could no longer hear any of her prayers. Mikal didn't ask Xena directly if Artemis had been one of the gods she had killed but he glanced at her every time Karina invoked the goddess' help.

Mikal offered to help Xena build a wooden sarcophagus for Toris's body. He told her that Toris had some planks left over from when he had built the tavern and that he thought they could work them into a suitable box. He also found some paints. It took them the better part of four hours but when they finished, Xena thought it was a suitable coffin until she could afford a stone one.

After they finished in the tomb, Xena and Mikal went to work cleaning up the tavern. The survivors were going to have to rebuild and if they were going to attract any new residents the town would have to have a tavern, a place for traders and visitors to stay. Xena could see just how much of a family that Toris, Marta and Mikal had become. The living quarters to the tavern were very cozy. Xena suddenly got the urge to settle down. She hadn't realized that she had even wanted a family life until she saw the evidence of her brother's happiness all around her. She decided that she would ask Gabrielle what she thought of settling down on the farm. They could raise the children there. They were her responsibility now. She wouldn't abandon them. And, she wouldn't abandon Amphipolis. By staying on the farm, she would be nearby if they needed her help. It was a win-win situation as far as she was concerned.

Mikal brought a new wine cask from the store room. "You want some?"

"Don't you think they need that over at the shrine more than we do here," she reprimanded gently.

"We have several more in here, I was just going to take one over there right now and see if Marta needs us for anything else right now."

"Sorry," Xena said peevishly, "you're more grown up than I give you credit for."

"It's okay, everybody makes that mistake," he said and handed her a goblet.

She turned the goblet over in her hand and examined it. She knew this design, where had she seen it? She closed her eyes and could see Ares drinking the wine she had left for him. A sign that she was ready to seal their deal when she and Athena were battling for Amphipolis. He had tossed the goblet haphazardly before removing his belt.

"Where did you get this, Mikal?"

"From that cupboard," he pointed to the largest cabinet behind the bar.

"No, I mean where did it come from before that?"

"Oh, yeah, that's one that I brought home from the temple."

"The temple of Ares?"

"Yeah, me and some of the guys used to hang out there. We had a gang, you know thought we were real tough seven year olds, that was before my mom died. My dad went off to war when I was just a baby, I used to go there thinking that if I prayed real hard to Ares that he would let my daddy come home."

"Me too," Xena whispered.

"There's some pretty cool stuff over there but nobody's really supposed to go in there. The magistrates forbid it. They say it could collapse the rest of the way at any minute but it's been like that ever since I can remember."

"You gonna take that wine to Marta?" Xena reminded him. Xena felt a little guilty about sending the boy off but she decided she was going to go check out the temple herself.

"Yeah, you want me to bring you some stew?"

"Nah, I'll be over there in a bit. I wanna make sure Marta doesn't need anything before else before I head out in the morning. I think everyone but Lysa is out of the woods and she seems a lot stronger today than she did yesterday."

"Okay, see you in a bit," he hoisted the wine barrel on his muscular shoulders and was off.

Xena took an oil lamp with her to the temple. It was a sunny day but she knew the interior could be pretty dark in places. She entered through the front door. The lock on it had been no match for a strike from her chakram. She grabbed one of the torches that hung at the entryway and lit it with the oil lamp. Her boots sounded loud in the stone corridor, echoing louder than she remembered, probably because most of the place was empty. She entered the throne room. The couch was still where she remembered it. She closed her eyes and bit her bottom lip as the memory of them came rushing in. Why did she do this to herself? She shouldn't have come here. She could feel him all around her. She walked over to the sofa and ran a fingertip across the velvet softness. It reminded her of his silkyy god hair and the gentle caress of his beard. A jolt of pleasure ripped through her core She had to get out of there.

Ares felt a tingle when she entered his temple. He was playing a game of chess with Hermes on Olympus when he felt her. He had been doing his best not to interfere in her life. He had quit watching her, quit purposefully putting warlords in her path. He had seen the look of anger and frustration when he had brought her back from Jappa. He had honestly thought she would be greatful. He didn't realize that she would feel like he had made her sacrifice pointless. So, he had kept his distance but if she was seeking him out then all was fair in love and war.

"Sorry Hermes, gotta run!"

"Xena?" Hermes arched an eyebrow in disapproval.

Ares just smiled and disappeared in shards of light.

When he rematerialized in his Amphipolis temple, she was nowhere in sight but he could still feel her presence, still smell her scent. She had definitely been here. He found the torch snuffed out at the base of his throne. He put it back in its holder and wondered what she was up to. He debated going to her but decided if she had wanted to see him she would have stayed. He reached out with his feelings. She had gone to the temple of Artemis. That's where all the sick people were. He knew that Amphipolis had been hit by plague. Hestia had made him pick up some of the slack down in Hades. There was quite a backlog. He had processed Toris himself. He wanted to tell Xena that he had sent her brother to be with Lyceus and Cyrene in the Elysian Fields but he knew she'd find out soon enough. And, he doubted she wanted to find out from him. The sick house! Why did she have to be so damned selfless?

He disappeared from his temple in frustration and reappeared on Olympus just in time for Hermes to call, "Check Mate!"


	4. Chapter 4

Xena had had every intention of leaving at daybreak for the farm. She had been gone three days and needed to make sure Gabrielle and the children were faring well. They hadn't had much in the way of provisions when she left. She had planned on fishing or hunting on her way back. But Lysa took a turn for the worse overnight and Xena felt wrong leaving when Marta could use the extra pair of hands.

At noon Xena stood stirring a pot of porridge when Mikal bolted into the shrine turned hospital. He had been running, he was out of breath. He grabbed his side and bent over double trying to calm his breathing enough to speak. He was pointing northward.

"I told you to take it easy, Mikal! You've just gotten over this sickness yourself, now what's got you so upset?" Marta stood from where she had been treating Lysa and walked toward the young man.

"Trouble, trouble to the north, fire, not far," he managed to get out.

The spoon Xena had been stirring with clanged to the floor. She was out of the door before Mikal or Marta even saw her moving. Her trained eyes scanned the horizon.

By the gods! If it wasn't the farm it was very close to it. Xena had to go, now! She whistled for Argo and called her vocally for good measure.

Marta and Mikal had followed her out when they realized that she had ran out of the temple.

Xena looked at the older woman, "I'm sorry, I can't stay, my best friend, my niece and nephews they may be in danger. I have to leave right now."

Argo came charging to Xena's side.

"I'll get your things," Mikal offered, "and I'm going with you."

"You most certainly are not! And this is not up for negotiation! Marta needs all the help she can get here, you hear me."

Mikal nodded solemnly.

"Good, now can you help finish lunch?"

"Yes, yes I will," the boy acquiesced.

"And Mikal, I will be back. As soon as I know everything is okay there, I will come back and help you with the tavern like I promised."

He smiled and shook Xena's hand, "I'll look after things here, you take care of your family."

"Thanks," she replied then nickered at Argo to follow her into town.

She stopped only long enough to gather Argo's saddle and her packs that she had moved to tavern's small stable. When she picked up her wine skin, she noticed that it had been refilled. She was thankful for Mikal's sweet gesture. He must have filled it before bed the night before when she had told him of her intent to leave at daybreak.

Xena hurriedly saddled Argo and slung her pack's across the mare's back. As she vaulted onto Argo's back she glanced at the smoke rising in the north. With a kick of the heels she urged the horse into a gallop.

She kept Argo running at a frenetic pace, they could rest when they got to the farm. She stopped for nothing. Xena avoided the lengthier trail that she had taken into Amphipolis, instead taking the more direct route through the wilderness. Argo leapt over fallen logs, sloshed through mountain streams, and dodged the occasional boulder. Xena didn't even stop for the two bandits who mistakenly thought they were going to rob her of her horse and gods know what else. An accurately placed kick to the jaw sent one sprawling to the ground while the other fell on his ass when he ducked to keep from having his head lopped off by Xena's chakram. The thugs never even broke Argo's stride.

Xena kept a watchful eye on the horizon the whole ride. She was thankful when the smoke dissipated. Whatever had been on fire had been brought under control! Still, Xena pushed Argo forward. She would not be satisfied until she saw that Gabrielle and the children were safe.

The acrid smell of smoke grew stronger the closer Xena came to the old cottage. She was elated when she could hear voices before she came over the rise that looked over the farmhouse.

"Another hotspot over here!" Malkus yelled to the others. Xena's heart sank when she saw where Malkus pointed. The farmhouse should have been there but it in it's place was a smoldering heap. Greba ran with a bucket of water and doused the spot that Malkus had indicated with water. It hissed and another plume of smoke rose into the air.

Xena pulled Argo to a halt. Memories to ashes. She couldn't stop the tears. Gabrielle tossed another bucket of water onto the burnt mess. Iason followed closely behind the bard lugging another pail. Kallias and Daria worked together pulling the next bucket up from the well. Malkus ran to retrieve it from them. Xena swiped her tears away and urged Argo down the hill to help them finish putting out the hotspots.

An hour later Xena sat on Greba's front porch with a devastated Iason. He was covered in soot from head toe and the skin of his face was reddened from having gone near the fire trying to put it out. His shoulders were slumped. He hung his head in defeat, he couldn't look Xena in the eye. She had trusted him with the flint and he had misused it and ended up burning down her grandparents' home. He had never felt so ashamed in his entire life.

Xena knew that it was good that the boy was taking responsibility for starting the fire but she was afraid his guilt was going to kill him. When she noticed the burn on his left hand, she realized that he had carried those buckets and tried to put out the fire even though he had suffered a very serious burn. She needed to get it cleaned and get some salve on it or risk infection.

"Iason, it's okay, we can rebuild, eventually. Right now, I need to look at that hand."

"No, I deserve it," he jerked the hand away as Xena tried to tend to it.

"Now you listen here! I am not sure what happened but it's over and no one is hurt, no one but you that is. Now, I am not gonna let you sit here and suffer or feel sorry for yourself for that matter. Let me look at your hand."

Xena's tone frightened him a little and he reluctantly gave her his hand. He wondered why she didn't hate him.

"I'm sorry," it was barely audible, he choked back tears as he apologized.

"As I said, nothing that can't be rebuilt, house doesn't make a home, the people do."

"Yeah, but you must've had good memories here."

Xena tightened her jaw and tried to control her emotions. She did indeed have wonderful memories of the farm, of her grandparents, her brothers, and more recently of Gabrielle and Ares.

"I did. And I still have those memories even the fire can't take those away. And, as I said the important thing is that everyone got out safely and that you guys were able to get the flames under control before they spread to Greba's farm."

"I guess, I mean I am glad that everyone is okay, I just feel so bad."

"That's normal."

"I mean I feel bad about why it happened. You trusted me and that should have mattered more than me being upset with Gabrielle."

"You were upset? With Gabrielle?"

Iason nodded but still refused to look at Xena. He was digging a hole in the yard with the toe of his boot.

"You gonna tell me why you were mad at her?" Xena asked.

"She wanted me to do woman's work. When she gave me those rags to clean. I felt humiliated I wanted a more important job, a more manly job. I didn't know they had oil on them when I lit them. I didn't expect them to burn that fast " He stated but his cheeks flushed with shame.

Well, Xena thought, the flash from the oil explained the severity of the burn on his hand. He must have been standing right next to the house for it to have gone up in flames.

"I should have just taken them down to the stream and washed them like Gabrielle asked but I just didn't understand why she told me to do it instead of Kallias."

"I see. You have a real problem with that don't you? Who put that crap in your head anyway? Work is work and as long as we work together to get the job done, it shouldn't matter who does what task."

"I know, it's just that the other boys used to make fun of me for hanging the wash when Mother was pregnant."

"Sounds to me like you were already more of a man than those boys who teased you. You knew your mother needed your help. Look, I know it's hard when people tease you. . ."

"I bet you were never teased."

"Oh really, you see a lot of tall girls in your village?" Xena raised and eyebrow and grinned.

"No," he finally looked up at Xena who was still holding his hand.

"When I was about your age, I hit a real growth spurt. I was taller than all the boys in Amphipolis, They used to call me Amaxena! I hated it. Later, I learned that the joke was actually on them. The Amazons are wonderful people, well most of them but Velasca is a story for another day. Now come on, let's go inside and see if Greba has some ointment for that burn." Xena helped Iason up by his other hand and gave him a warm hug of forgiveness.

Greba and Malkus insisted that they stay with them for the night. Xena agreed since she didn't want to travel overnight with the children if she didn't have to. Xena deliverd the dreadful news about Amphipolis and told Iason and Kallias that their grandfather had not survived the plague. Iason wept, Kallias seemed saddened but having never met the man was not as affected by the news as her brother had been. Still, Xena guessed that being orphaned twice in the space of a week carried its own kind of suffering.

After they tucked the children into the pallet that Greba had thrown together for them, Xena asked Gabrielle to meet her in the stable.

"You okay?" Gabrielle asked as she brushed Xena's cheek tenderly.

Xena took Gabrielle's hand, pressed her lips to the spot where the thumb and the forefinger met and then pulled her friend into a deep embrace. There in the safety of Gabrielle's arms, Xena let herself cry.

"So much death, I'm all that's left now. Lyceus, Mother, Toris."

"I know, I know," Gabrielle rubbed Xena's back soothingly, "but you're not all that's left, you know. You have Eve and these children Xena, they are Toris's."

"About that, Gabrielle," Xena broke the embrace and walked over to Argo. "I want to talk to you about something."

"Okay," Gabrielle sensed apprehension in Xena's voice.

Xena pulled her bedroll from her pack and spread it out on the hay. She sat down and patted for Gabrielle to do the same. Gabrielle complied. Xena began unlacing her boots.

"I want to keep the children, all of them, even Daria, I haven't figured out all of the details yet. I thought we'd be able to stay at the farm and maybe one day we can rebuild there but it's not serviceable right now."

"Xena, are you saying that you want to settle down?"

"I am but I'll understand if that's not something you're ready for. If you need to keep travelling then you can go with my blessing but this, this, is something I have to do."

"You're taking them to Amphipolis aren't you? You're going home."

"I'm going home," when Xena said it she realized just how accurate the statement was. She was going home.

The next morning, Iason, Kallias, and Daria said their goodbye's to Amyntas. Xena had let the infant stay with Greba and Malkus until she could get things settled in Amphipolis. She promised Greba that it would take no longer than a month. Xena didn't want to leave him at all but Gabrielle had reminded her that Greba's breast milk was much better for him than the goat's milk they had been giving him. Xena worried briefly about taking the other kids into the town just recovering from the plague but she had faith in Marta's estimation of the disease's course. If Marta was right, then no one in town was contagious anymore. Lysa had been the last to contract the disease and Xena was not showing any signs of contagion after spending nearly three days at the hospice. In the end, the benefit outweighed the risks. They could use the extra hands to rebuild Amphipolis and the children needed to start feeling settled so they could regain some semblance of normalcy.

The trip to Amphipolis took longer with the children and Gabrielle in tow but they made it to town by early evening. Xena asked Gabrielle and the kids to wait at the perimeter of the village while she checked with Marta that no new outbreaks had occurred.

Twenty minutes later, Xena returned with Mikal who had a sack of apples slung over his right shoulder. He offered Gabrielle one of the waterskins he carried in his left, the other he handed to Iason. Xena carried a torch in her left hand, the sun was setting, it would be dark soon.

"You sure about this? We're not supposed to go in there!" Mikal warned.

"Oh, I'm sure," Xena answered.

"But the magistrates," Mikal protested.

"The magistrates are dead, and besides it's not in use. And it's the only place that I am sure is free of contamination. No one's gone in there for years because of the ban."

"Xena what are you talking about?" Gabrielle felt like she was only getting half of the conversation between Mikal and Xena.

"Our new home, Gabrielle," Xena pointed the torch toward the only stone building in town. Even in the twilight, Gabrielle could make out the gaping hole in the side of the temple.

"The temple of Ares? Xena, have you lost your mind?"

"Not at all, it's perfect for our needs. It'll only take a day to patch that hole with Mikal and Iason helping. Now let's go kids," Xena said enthusiastically as she led the way to the temple. She turned and smiled radiantly at Gabrielle before hoisting Daria up with her free hand.

Gabrielle followed behind the group. She eyed Xena warily. Just what had her friend meant when she had said she was "going home"?


	5. Chapter 5

Ares was restringing Bliss' bow when he felt Xena re-enter his Amphipolis temple. Twice in one week, well that was no coincidence, something was going on. If she wanted to see him why didn't she just call?

The golden haired boy looked up at Ares with admiration. He had shed some of his toddler chubbiness and was standing nearly four-feet tall. He hadn't grown at the rate of normal gods and Ares wondered as he looked at the boy what it would be like to watch own children with Xena grow.

Ares handed the boy the golden bow, "Now, behave with this, you're dad told me what you did to Xena with his bow! I mean Draco, really?"

Bliss just giggled and ran off to play with a couple of his cousins who ran through the main hall kicking a ball between them.

"Take that outside," Demeter called to the children. "Nephew, you look a little addled, everything okay?"

He didn't dare tell her that he was thinking about his future with the Warrior Princess, "All good, just going to head down to Earth for a bit, check on a few campaigns."

"Can't stay away long can you?" She jibbed. They both knew exactly what she was talking about but he decided to play it off.

"You know, mortals, leave them unsupervised and the whole world flies apart. With Rome growing as quickly as it is, I have to keep pace. I'll be in the Halls of War if anyone needs me."

He failed to mention that he was going to make a quick pit stop in Amphipolis first.

"I'm sure we'll be able to get along without you for a bit, Ares."

"I'm sure," he answered and thought that there were a few of them who would be willing to try to get along without him for eternity. He wondered briefly if he should count Demeter in that number.

"Good day, Aunt," he nodded as he vanished into the aether.

X*X*X

Xena knew the layout of the temple well, so she quickly assigned rooms to the new inhabitants. In addition to the throne room, the temple had a small kitchen and six rooms which had served as quarters for the priests and acolytes in the temple's heydey. There was also a hidden room that had served other purposes that Xena was not going to let herself think about. Nor was she going to mention it to any of the new residents. She knew where the secret lever for the door was and doubted seriously any of kids would stumble over it. Gabrielle on the other hand might be a problem. Xena promised herself that she would deal with that tomorrow while Gabrielle was at the hospice. She imagined that Gabrielle was tired and just wanted to rest anyway. She asked Mikal to bring in just enough firewood to heat the priests' quarters as that was where they would all be staying. Xena put Daria and Kallias in a room together but thought that Iason might prefer a room of his own. He thanked Xena but asked if he could stay with Mikal. They had become friends when Iason had visited Toris the previous year.

"I would really prefer you to stay here for the time being but I don't see any reason that Mikal can't stay here for the night if he wants."

"Okay." to Xena's surprise, Iason did not press the point. Instead he tried to find a way to make himself useful, "Do you want me to bring in some water so we can all wash up

"That's a good idea. Bring in a couple of buckets if you can. There used to be a cache of them in the stable. And while you're out there can you ask Mikal if he can spare any oats for Argo?"

Xena tossed the boy an apple from the bag that Mikal had brought them, "Give her this either way."

"You got it," Iason answered and bounded out of the room. Xena couldn't help but thinking that he had grown up a lot in one week. She knew from personal experience just how quickly tragedy could force you to grow up before your time.

She left the others to get comfortable in their new quarters. She told Gabrielle that she was going to secure the building. She didn't want any predators surprising them in the night.

An old floor covering lay rolled up in a corner of the throne room. She shook it out and decided to use it as a temporary patch for the hole in the west facing wall.

She had retrieved a hammer and some pegs from the workshop that sat adjacent to the stables and was pounding in the last peg when she felt his presence.

The hairs on the back of her neck stood up. She felt him on her, inside of her, burning, tingling, it was too many sensations at once. She ground her teeth together and clenched her jaw trying to fight off the desire that raged through her.

"Areeees," it was a benediction and a curse at the same time. She turned to see him seated in all his godly glory on his throne. A throne that she herself had had crafted by the best carver in Ionia.

He was amused by her frustration. Did she really think that she could hide her desire from him? By the gods she was a fighter though. He was constantly amazed at the battle she waged with herself. He was impressed with how strong her will power was even though that same will power was what denied him satisfaction.

"Xena, what are you doing?" He hadn't come to seduce her so he pretended not to notice how affected she was by his very presence. He had chosen to sit across the room on his throne both to annoy her with the cockiness of the gesture and also to give her the physical space that he knew she needed to keep her composure when he was around.

"Doing?" She simply cocked her eyebrow and pursed her lips in an innocent, 'I don't know what you're talking about gesture.'

"Don't play dumb with me, I know better! What are you doing with those snot-nosed brats?"

"They're my. . ."

"I know who they are, why in Tartarus do you have them here? In my temple? Are you starting an army of younglings? Hey, not a bad idea, it's worked pretty well for the Spartans."

"Cut the crap, Ares, you know it's not like that."

"A god can dream," he gave her a devilish grin.

"I'm commandeering this temple," she stated matter-of-factly.

"It's always been yours as far as I was concerned anyway. Xena: Goddess of War has always had a nice ring to it. You know I think. . ."

He was still talking but Xena had tuned him out. Something he said had triggered the memory of the ring that she had been carrying since that night in the cave. Her hand subconsciously moved to the pouch. She felt the ring through the leather. She quickly jerked her hand away, she didn't want him to know that she he taken it in a vulnerable moment.

"So, as I was saying, Xena, what gives?"

She shook her head to clear her thoughts. Why did he always have this effect on her?

"I'm turning this temple into an orphanage."

Her tone brokered no argument but he was going to give her one anyway. He was not about to stand by and watch his Warrior Princess become housemother to a passel of bedraggled orphans! In his temple no less!

"Don't be ridiculous Xena! You and Gabrielle. . ."

"Ares, it's time I settled down! This is as good a reason as any, better than most, in fact. And, at least Im home, here. . . . in Amphipolis," she added.

But he knew that she felt as much at home in this temple as she had in her mother's tavern.

He knew he should be gracious and just let her have the damn place. After all she, more than any other warrior, was responsible for its previous grandeur. Truth be told, he lost the temple when he lost her anyway. He could hardly bare coming here after she left. Her presence lingered in its most private recesses and it was too painful to be there without her. Sure, his priests had kept things going but the tributes didn't pour in the same quantity or quality as they had when Xena had ridden at the head of his army. The final blow had come during Xena and Athena's battle for Amphipolis. The priests had fled the temple that day and none had bothered returning. The town council was all too happy to let the temple fall into disuse in favor to the shrine to Artemis and in deference to the rising cult of Eli.

His thoughts returned to the present and took a moment to drink in the sight of her. She was getting older. The hardships of life on the road and the weight of the world that she carried on her shoulders had left their indelible marks on her. She was still the most breath-taking woman, mortal or otherwise, that he had ever seen. She was dressed in her usual leather and armor but was wearing a leather cord on her wrist. There was something familiar about it but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Then it hit him, she used to wear the one Lyceus gave her but she had put the ring he had given her on it and had worn it like a charm. He wondered if she had kept the band and ring all these years. If so, then maybe he did have reason to hope that she had feelings for him that ran deeper than sexual chemistry and her natural attraction to him because of his dark powers.

Yes, he thought, he should have been gracious about letting her use the temple but where was the fun in that? "Oh, I don't think so Xena, this is a temple, MY TEMPLE, and I'll be damned if I'll have you, my perfect warrior, running around her wiping assess and telling fairy tales!"

"You misunderstood, Ares, I didn't ask you if I could take this temple, I'm telling you that I am taking this temple and if you know what's good for you, you won't oppose me. Those kids have been through more in the last few days that anyone should have to endure. I won't leave them homeless. Plus, there are a couple more kids over at Artemis' temple that are going to need homes when they are fully healed."

"Then why don't they just stay there?"

"Because it's a hospice and a hospice is not a home. I am going to make this a home, Ares, a real home." A softness painted her features that he had never before seen. He decided that he liked it, liked seeing her that way. Gods how did this woman keep getting more beautiful?

He swallowed hard, his mouth was suddenly dry. He didn't like where his mind was going. He materialized a goblet of wine and took a sip. He raised his hand and offered her the remnants.

Her lip curled up in a half-smile and she shook her head.

"A home?" he asked.

She nodded.

"I could give you a home on Olympus, Xena, all you have to do is ask."

The ring weighed heavy against her hip. She subconsciously fingered the ring through the pouch again. She closed her eyes drowning in the ecstasy of the temptation of letting him whisk her off to his bed on Olympus.

"Ares," she warned him not to go down that road.

A single, almost imperceptible nod signaled his acquiescence.

"Is this what you want? What you really want?" He stood up from the throne and walked toward her but still keeping his distance.

"It's what I need," she answered him honestly. They both knew what she wanted but they also both knew that she would never let herself have those things.

"Very well. You have my blessing." he said and dematerialized before she could get out her snarky comeback.

"I didn't ask for your blessing," she retorted even though she knew he was gone.

"Whose blessing or need I ask?" Gabrielle asked as she came into the throne rome

"Doesn't matter, he's gone now," Xena released a breath she didn't know she was holding.

"Oh Xena, look at these," Gabrielle ran over to the throne where a stack of new clean blankets was piled high in the spot where Ares had been lounging only moments earlier. "I think this one's for you," she said as she tossed Xena a black throw decorated with a single chakram in the center.

Xena rolled her eyes at Ares' handiwork as she grabbed the bedding from Gabrielle and headed to the quarters which she was sharing with the bard.

X*X*X

Xena couldn't get comfortable on the twin sized cot. The mattress needed to be re-feathered, it felt lumpy. Her feet hung off the edge of the bed and she tossed and turned trying to determine if it was more comfortable to have her toes pointing toward the floor or toward the ceiling. Neither satisfied her. She decided to try to scrunch up into a fetal position so that her long frame fit on the short bed.

Gabrielle, of course, had no difficulty finding a comfortable position and was already snoring quietly on her cot on the other side of the room.

Xena pulled the warm blanket even tighter around her body. She had to admit that it was very soft and cozy despite her inability to get situated. She turned her body again and tried to lay flat on her back with her knees bent, that was even less comfortable.

She felt the warmth of his presence before she heard him softly whisper, "why are you doing this? You know there is a perfectly good queen sized bed downstairs."

Her eyes popped open and she scanned the room but he hadn't made himself visible.

"No one can see me and only you can hear me. I was just checking to see if you were settled in and I noticed how ridiculously uncomfortable you are. To be honest, it was funny to watch for a minute but Xena really why are you forcing yourself to suffer?"

"Go away," she ordered.

He ignored her, "You do know that these are the cots for the acolytes don't you, who were mostly youths. You should at least move to the head priest's quarters if you won't claim your rightful bed in this temple."

"Ares, get lost."

"It's my temple, I don't have to go anywhere, Xena."

"You're a god, don't you have more important matters to be attending to."

"Oh, I could attend to some matters alright," he had moved closer and she could feel his breath on her face.

"Show yourself if you're gonna talk, you insufferable bastard."

With a spark he was there, seated on the floor beside her cot, looking at her, face to face.

"Better?"

"No, it would be better if you left altogether."

"Now, now, you don't mean that Xena. I see you found your blanket."

"Yeah, the chakram was a nice touch," she answered, her voice heavy with sarcasm.

He ran a fingertip slowly along her cheek, "you used to like my touches."

She shivered and tried to cocoon herself even more with the blanket.

"You cold? I can fix that," He rose up and tried to slide in bed with her.

She placed a hand on his marble-hard chest to stop his forward movement.

"Stop it, we are not doing this, not here, and certainly not with Gabrielle right there," Xena said flatly.

"You name the time and the place then."

"Not now, not ever, Ares," she answered but she was getting flustered. "You know what infuriates me. You think this is all a game."

"No I don't!'

"Yes, you do. You enjoy me being here, you think that it has something to do with you, with us, with the past but it doesn't. I needed a place to bring these children, it was the most suitable place in town, end of story."

"If you say so,"

"I do! And, in fact, I wouldn't even need a place for them in the first place if it wasn't for you and your filthy warlords." She bunched the blanket up to her chin and rolled over finished with the conversation.

"Need I remind you that you used to be one of those warlords."

"Why in Hades not, you do every fucking chance you get!"

"Whoa, Whoa, wait a minute. Why are you laying this at my feet? I didn't cause the plague that killed Toris, in fact I was going to apologize for your loss. I took him to the other side Xena, he's with your mother and Lyceus," Ares said as he slipped his hand under the blanket and rubbed the leather band at her wrist gently. "I didn't cause this, Xena."

She flipped over to face him, their noses brushed, "yes, you did, that warlord who attacked their village . . ."

"Was not acting on my orders or on my behalf, in fact I've been trying to stop him, my sweet."

"I'm sorry, why would you try to stop a warlord?"

"Because he opposes my new favorite. I have a new leader, Zandar, he's young but smart and he and I have a plan which will hopefully keep the Romans out of here. Sarkon the Slayer, as he is called, is only making our work harder. In order for our plan to work, I need the city-states of northern Greece and Thrace to thrive in order to oppose Roman rule."

Every fiber of Xena's being wanted to believe what he was saying. Could he really be trying to bring about peace and stability with his army? Could he embrace violence as a means to positive ends instead of as a tool of senseless bloodshed and slaughter?

"Sarkon? What does he want?"

"As far as I can tell, he's just getting kicks. He's the worst kind, Xena."

She nodded her head which caused their noses to graze each other again. She had already subconsciously allowed her arm to weave itself between his bulging bicep and his solid torso. She was disgusted at how easily her body had betrayed her. She could feel her core heating at his nearness.

"I'm going to stop him, Ares. As soon as I get things situated here, I'm going to find him and. . ."

"I'm sure you will but you aren't going to get anything done without a good night's rest and that is not going to happen in this cot. If you won't let me take you downstairs, at least go in the head priest's room." He didn't wait for her to answer, he simple zapped them through the aether from one bed to the other. He snapped his fingers and a blazing fire filled the fire place.

"Now, isn't this much better?"

Xena could actually stretch out and still have room. "Yes," she answered reluctantly.

"Do you still want me to go?" He knew what the answer would be but he still had to ask.

"As you said, I need to sleep," She couldn't tell him that she wanted him to go because in reality she wanted him to stay. She wanted him to take her downstairs and make love to her in the secluded chambers that only their eyes had seen. But those were desires that she would never allow herself to indulge in, never again.

"Very well," he answered as he pulled the blanket up over her shoulders.

"Sleep well princess," he rubbed his thumb along her bottom lip and kissed her lightly on the cheek.

"Sweet dreams, my love," he whispered and disappeared into the aether.

"Good night, Ares," she muttered and touched her lips trying to remember the feel of his warm digit on her mouth.

Within minutes, she was fast asleep and dreaming of hidden rooms and secret desires.


	6. Chapter 6

When Xena awoke, Gabrielle was sitting at the foot of her bed.

"I hope you're going to do something about this, about him?" It was as much a question as it was a statement.

Xena sat up, yawned, stretched her arms out, and rubbed her eyes. She didn't have any idea what Gabrielle was talking about but she had a pretty good idea just who the "him" in question was.

"What in the name of Zeus are you talking about?"

"Ares has been here since the crack of dawn and I don't think he plans on leaving anytime soon," Gabrielle gestured toward the front of the temple.

Xena looked around for her leather and armor and remembered that they had been left behind in the other room when he had whisked her in the priest's quarters the previous evening.

She grumbled her frustration, "Where are the kids? My clothes are in the other room."

"Since you brought it up, just how did you end up in here anyway, and has he been here all night? He was outside when I got up to go to the bathroom this morning."

"No. I mean he was here. . . but. . . he didn't stay," Xena stood up and wrapped the blanket around her body even though she had her cream colored shift on.

Gabrielle followed Xena out of the room and down the hall, "Xena did you and he?"

"Gods no, Gabrielle, it wasn't like that. We were talking about Sarkon."

"Sarkon?"

"The Slayer, the one who sacked the kids' village."

"So Ares does know him?" she said but it didn't sound like an accusation, just a confirmation.

"He knows of him, Gabrielle," Xena stopped in the hallway and turned to look at her friend, "believe it or not, he's actually trying to stop him."

"Really?" Gabrielle was not ready to trust Ares just yet. She appreciated him bringing Xena back from Jappa but he had done so against Xena's wishes. She knew that if Ares was going after this Sarkon then he was doing it out of self-interest.

"Yes, really," Xena answered a little too defensively for her own liking and turned to continue her trek down the hallway toward the acolyte's room that Gabrielle had slept in the previous evening.

When she reached the room, she could here the activities in the front of the temple.

"No, you have to put it on in thin layers, like this," Xena could hear Mikal telling someone.

"So, what's his angle with the Sarkon thing?" Gabrielle asked as Xena quickly pulled her leather dress and boots on, leaving the armor on the floor at the foot of the tiny bed.

"Can we talk about this later, I am more worried about getting him out of here right now," Xena answered and stopped in the doorway steeling herself for the anticipated encounter.

Gabrielle noticed the change in Xena's posture. The warrior had straightened her spine and squared her shoulders. With her head held high, she took a deep breath and headed for the front of the temple.

Gabrielle threw her hands up in the air. Why did Xena have to have a thing for him of all people?

X*X*X

Even though Xena had steeled herself, she was not prepared for the sight of a topless Ares. Gods, he was beautiful. He was standing at the half-destroyed wall with Mikal and Iason. Mikal was showing the other two the finer techniques of brick laying. He smeared cement in a thin layer on one of the square stones that were piled neatly near the wall. Xena wondered where the stones had come from. They weren't there last night.

Ares looked up at his warrior when she entered the room, "Morning sleepyhead."

The mid-morning sun gleamed through the gap in the wall, illuminating his gloriously strong, glistening, and dirty chest. Just how long had she slept this morning and why hadn't someone roused her earlier? Why was he sweating? It wasn't that hot in here. Sure, he was standing directly in the sunlight but Ares rarely broke a sweat. He picked up another of the stones and took the spatula from Mikal, daubed a glob of cement on it and began applying it as the boy had shown him.

He was working? What in Hades was going on here? What was he up to? Was she still dreaming? Was he filling her head with this? She remembered having vivid dreams the night before but mostly of a sexual or sensual nature. She wanted to pinch herself but didn't dare give him the satisfaction of knowing that he had her puzzled.

"Good morning Ares, could I see you for a minute?" She jerked her head toward the hallway from where she had just come. When she did, she saw Gabrielle leaning on the doorframe with a "you're in trouble now" smirk on her face.

"Sure, sugar, be right there, just let me clean my hands," he winked at her and doused his hands in a nearby water bucket then wiped them on a rag that Iason handed him.

"Don't keep him long Xena," Mikal called at the retreating duo, "he's gotta help me get the rest of the bricks from Toris' shed.

Gabrielle started to follow the two of them down the hallway but after a glare from Xena had second thoughts.

Xena set the pace, making long but not hurried strides. as they marched down the hallway toward the head priest's quarters. Daria and Kallias darted out of their room, Ares had to scramble to keep them from slamming into his legs.

"Sorry Mr. Ares," Daria looked up at the war god and blushed. She was clearly smitten with him.

"No running in the halls," Xena reminded the girls.

"Sorry," Kallias responded and took Daria's hand and headed off.

Abruptly Daria whipped around and ran back toward Xena and Ares. She tugged at the hem of Xena's dress and crooked her tiny finger in a 'come here' motion.

Xena went down on her haunches, "What is it, Daria?"

Daria leaned into Xena's ear and whispered, "you were right, he is handsome."

Xena looked up at Ares, she certainly didn't disagree. He was definitely handsome but why did he have to be such an ass? Xena growled, "looks aren't everything. Now, make yourselves useful and go see if Gabrielle needs you two to do something."

As the girls walked off, hand-in-hand again, Xena started back down the hallway. Suddenly, Ares was gone. "Son-of-a-bacchae!" She continued down the hallway to her new room. When she reached the room, she slammed the door shut only to find him lounging in her bed, still topless.

"What in the name of. . .of. . . you-are you doing?" She managed to get out.

"I'm trying to be helpful," he answered with a smile.

"You don't do manual labor," she retorted.

"Oh, I don't know, I think I'm pretty good with my hands," he said and sent her a mental reminder of a time long ago when he sat her on the altar of this very temple and fingered her until she came.

Xena braced herself against the door. She winced as a splinter sliced into her right index finger as she clawed at the wood in an effort to fight the feelings that the image aroused.

He let go of the image when she cried out. He hadn't meant to hurt her. He was at her side instantly. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that, are you okay?"

"It's just a splinter, Ares, I'll live," she bit back.

"Let me see it," he ordered.

"Don't be silly, I'm fine."

He wasn't taking no for an answer. He took her hand and examined the sliver of wood laying just under her perfectly pink skin. He couldn't resist kissing her fingertip. The touch of his hot mouth on her sore finger sent goosebumps rising up all over her body and liquified her core.

"That's a big one Xena, I think I can get it out for you."

"I'll manage, I get a needle," she objected and tried to nudge him away.

"Now who's being silly?"

"I don't need you 'fixing' me, Ares."

"No god tricks, I promise," he lifted her finger to his mouth again and began working the offending shard forward with his teeth. Xena stood perfectly still as he performed his oral ministrations. She was growing wetter and wetter as his teeth scraped her sensitive fingertip. When Ares felt the splinter pop loose, he pricked the wood from her digit and flicked it across the room. He grinned his devilish grin at her and licked the opening the wound had left, tasting the coppery essence of his beloved. "By the gods woman, there'll never be another."

"Areeess," she moaned.

"Mmmm?" His lips glided from her fingertip to the delicate skin of her wrist. He licked, kissed, and nibbled. Xena literally felt her knees going weak. She knew she had to stop this, fast. She grabbed him by the bare biceps, quickly turned him and pressed his back against the door, pinning him against the hard oak.

"Cut it out," she said breathlessly.

"Okay, okay," he lifted his forearms in a surrendering gesture, "I really was just trying to help but you make it so hard to play nice sometimes."

"We didn't ask for your help. We will be just fine here without you." she didn't mean it to come off as harsh but she could tell that it had hurt his feelings.

He swallowed hard and pursed his lips. She thought she must be hallucinating because she could have sworn that his eyes almost watered.

"Fine Xena, just let me finish the wall, I told the boys I'd help, don't make a liar out of me, not to those kids."

"Oh right, you're not a liar, just a murdering, slaughtering, manipulative bastard. Why do you give a crap what those kids think of you?"

He didn't answer, he just looked around the room. He wasn't used to dealing with all these feelings. "Fuck you, Xena."

"Isn't that what you were just trying to do and failing miserably, I might add," she taunted him.

"Look, just tell the boys I'm a jerk, that's what you're gonna do anyway," he said and disappeared.

"Good riddance," she yelled but in reality she felt like shit. Why had she done that? Maybe he was trying to help? Why couldn't she ever take anything he said at face value? Fuck him!

Xena stormed back down the hallway to the front of the temple. Surveying the throne room, she chided herself for ever thinking that this was going to work. Gabrielle and the girls were nowhere in sight. The boys only looked behind her, clearly they were anticipating the return of the god of war.

"He's gone. Something came up," she lied. She was too ashamed to tell them that she had run him off.

Their disappointed looks made her feel even worse about herself. "Back to work," she clapped her hands, "daylight's burning."

"I'll see if I can borrow the wheelbarrow from Marta," Mikal said to Iason, "I think we can push the rest of the bricks over here together with it."

"Sure, I'll meet you at the tavern," Iason agreed.

Xena realized that Ares must have carried the pile of bricks from her brother's shed. Gods she was feeling like a real bitch.

"Here, he left this," Mikal said as he tossed Ares' leather vest to Xena. Without another word, he and Iason headed out the front door.

Xena clutched the vest. She looked around to make sure she was truly alone. She brought the garment up to her face, revelling in his scent. She felt like a hypocrite. She had to get rid of

the offending article. She called out to Gabrielle and the girls, no answer. She guessed they had gone over to the hospice.

She walked quickly over to the throne, reached under the seat and pulled the hidden lever. The throne inched forward. The stones grinding against each other echoed off the temple walls. A loud click signaled tha tthe passageway was fully open. Xena grabbed a nearby oil lamp and descended the staircase into the hidden room and into her past.

When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she tripped the lever on that end, closing the entrance above. She used the lamp to light the sconces and was surprised to find that many of them still had usable candles.

Once illuminated, Xena could still make out the old war table in the corner. The maps from their last campaign were still weighed down on the corners with skulls just like she had left them. The room smelled musty and had clearly been out of use for decades. Drapes of spiderwebs lined the corners. Two closets stood along the far wall. One, Xena knew contained a small collection of arms that she had coveted from her kills, the other held backup pieces of armor. The centerpiece of the room, however was the bed, a large queen sized piled high with now dusty pillows. Above the bed was a tapestry he'd had crafted in Persia, it pictured a dark haired female warrior riding off into a purple sunset. The glimmer of a chakram could barely be made out on her hip. A trunk sat at the foot of the bed. Xena wondered if rats had gotten to the delicate contents. She dusted off the cobwebs and slowly lifted the led. To her surprise the dresses and lingerie were undisturbed. She lifted a blue leather corset that she'd had died in Tunis to match her eyes. Ares had particularly loved that garment she recalled. The force of the memory hit her like a the blow from a cyclops' cudgel. She could almost feel the bones of the corset hugging her as his lips and tongue feasted upon her nipples. Could feel the slick glide of his fingers across and into her center. Taste his salty skin, hear his muffled groans as he pleasured her with his gorgeous mouth. She delighted in the feel of stretching to accommodate his godly girth as he bent her over the bed. She recalled that with each thrust he had released the strings of the corsetsone eyelet at at time until the corset fell freely to the mattress below and they collapsed on top of it spent.

Footsteps from above brought Xena out of her reverie. She tossed the vest into the chest and closed the lid quietly. She couldn't use the stairway without revealing the room to the others. Instead, she used the back door which exited through the caves. It would be a mile and half walk back to town but she needed to cool off anyway.


	7. Chapter 7

Xena and the gang had a very eventful week converting the temple into a residence. It was decided that Xena would stay in the head priest's quarters while Gabrielle stayed in the acolyte's room which was also to be used as Amyntas' nursery. Early in the week, Xena had sent Mikal to let Greba know that she would be picking the infant up by the end of the week. Xena moved a third cot into the girls' room when Cyrena recovered enough to the leave the hospice. Estor, the baker, took Dalin in, he had plenty of space at his place and could use the extra pair of hands. Gabrielle earmarked one of the bedrooms as a classroom which left an extra bedroom for storage. The throne room was converted into the communal living space and dining area.

Xena hoped they would be able to convince people to come settle the city-state now that the threat of plague was gone. Gabrielle promised that she would do her best to get some folks from Potidea to come back with her. She had planned to go check on Lila as soon as Xena returned with the baby.

Although Xena had dreamed of Ares nearly every evening, being in his temple was definitely having a powerful effect on her, he had not dared to show his face again. She had avoided the secret room at all costs. She stood staring at the throne which sat atop the room's entrance when Gabrielle came in carrying a basket of eggs.

"Karina gave us a few eggs in exchange for some of that wood you chopped yesterday," she noticed Xena's eyes were focused on Ares' throne, "everything okay, he hasn't been bothering you has he?"

"What?" Xena hadn't realized that she had been staring at the throne."Oh! Him? No, no, it's not, not that, just thinking that's all." How could she tell Gabrielle that of course he had been "bothering" her but not at all in the way that the bard was implying? He had stayed away like a good god but his presence throughout the temple was reeking havoc on her emotions.

"Do you wanna get rid of it?" Gabrielle gestured toward the throne, "it's pretty ostentatious and it has to remind you of. . ."

"No," Xena blurted out a little too quickly. There was no way to get rid of the throne without revealing the door beneath it. Unfortunately, that very visible reminder of the temple's former resident would have to stay in place, even if looking at it all day drove Xena batshit crazy.

"We could always have it reupholstered," Gabrielle suggested.

"It's fine the way it is, cost a fortune anyway and it matches the couch."

"Oh, I see, you gave him that throne, huh?"

"I did," Xena answered honestly. Gabrielle didn't like the longing she heard in her friend's voice. "It was a long time ago. I was trying to prove myself to him. I was trying to outdo another of his favorite warlords. Little did I know all I really had to do to get his attention was to walk away from him."

"Oh, I'm sure you had plenty of attention from him before you left, you're a beautiful woman, Xena."

"Yeah, but it was mostly just war, conquest, and sex."

"And you miss what? The sex?"

Xena faced her friend, she knew this would be hard for Gabrielle to hear, "Maybe all of it. Don't you see that's the problem. He thinks things could be different between us now. I am not sure they could."

"And if they could?" Gabrielle wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer but she felt compelled to ask.

"I don't know. Look, I don't want to talk about this. I'm gonna go fishing."

"Fishing, yes, fishing will fix everything," Gabrielle shrugged her shoulders as Xena walked away.

Xena returned two hours later with a basket full of fish. She and Iason were cleaning the mess of them when they saw Malkus riding into town. He carried Amyntas in a sling at the front of his torso. Nan followed behind Malkus' roan mare.

"Hello," he called out,"thought I'd save you the trip and see if you all needed any help with the remodel. I'm handy with a hammer and a nail."

"Go get Gabrielle, Iason," Xena wiped her hands on a rag and stood to greet Malkus. "Greba didn't come with you?" Xena was having a hard time believing that the desperate housewife let her handsome husband out of her sight for one minute.

"It's hard enough to travel with one babe, two would be out of the question."

Gabrielle came running out of the temple. Iason and Daria followed. She smiled at Malkus and reached up to take the baby, "Good to see you Malkus. You didn't have to bring him."

"As I was telling Xena, I thought I could be of some use."

"Hi Amyntas," Iason cooed to his little brother, "you want me to take him and show him his new room?" he asked Gabrielle.

"You know I think that's a great idea, why don't we go together?" They headed into the temple.

Xena turned her attention back to cleaning the fish. Malkus dismounted and grabbed a bag from his horse's back. "I brought you some vegetables, I didn't know how bad things were over here, other than what Mikal told me." He sat the sack on the ground near Xena's boots.

"Thank you, you've saved me a trip and this town can use all the fresh food it can get. Luckily, they have some stores put up. But no one really got a garden out this year because of the plague. This'll really help."

"Good, now what can I do?"

"I think we have almost everything done with the temple. Marta could probably use some help down at the shrine to Artemis, Daria can show you the way, Kallias is already there and you can meet the other children."

Daria took Malkus' hand, "Don't worry, Xena, I'll take care of it," she said with pride and confidence.

"I'll send someone when dinner is ready," Xena called after the them.

Xena finished with the fish and took them into Gabrielle so she could work her culinary magic on them.

"Can you take them to the kitchen? My hands are kind of full," Gabrielle said as she saw Xena come in with the bowl of trout. She was trying to get the baby to drink from the bottle that she had improvised. He wasn't taking to it and was getting fussy.

"Sure, then I'm gonna go down to the river for a bath."

"Yeah, you need one, you smell like fish guts."

"Yah, yah, yah," Xena mock laughed at her friend. "Can you send Iason over to get the others when dinner is ready."

"Sure, but it may be a bit," she answered and Amyntas wailed out as if on cue.

"Take your time, I need a good soak anyway," Xena replied, and time to clear my head, she thought but left that part unspoken. She had thought that fishing would have helped take her mind off of Ares but it didn't. She just kept thinking about what a colossal bitch she had been to him. He had been trying to help and she had pushed him away. Malkus had offered his help and she hadn't run him out of town. No, she graciously accepted whatever help he could offer. She worked so hard to fight for a better world and she believed with every ounce of her being that people could change. She, afterall, was living proof. So, why did she have such a hard time accepting that Ares could change? I mean, hadn't she seen him do things that she would have sworn him incapable of? Xena left the fish on the kitchen work table, ran into her bedroom, grabbed a drying cloth and some soap, and headed back to the river.

The afternoon sun danced across the running water making the surface sparkle. Xena stripped down and jumped in. It was still spring and the water had a bit of a cold bite to it but swimming upstream quickly warmed her body. She swam for a few minutes and then let herself float back downstream. When she reached the place she had originally entered she walked back to the bank and grabbed the hunk of soap. She waded back in until she was chest deep in the river. She dunked her head into the water getting it thoroughly wet and then resurfaceed. As she lathered the soap in her hands, she brought it up to her nose and was pleased and the soft lavender fragrance.

Suddenly a live current ran through her body. She eyed the bank trying to locate the god she knew was lurking nearby. Not finding him there, she looked across to the other bank. The tingles along her skin told her he was closer than the bank.

"Enjoying the show?" she realized that he was standing directly behind her but she didn't give him the satisfaction of turning to face him.

"Immensely," he answered without a trace of shame. "Here let me help you with that," he said and reached around her body to take the soap out of her hands. She could feel his hot breath against her neck when he spoke. His strong bare chest pressed firmly against her back. She knew she should protest but she didn't want to. Occasionally, she allowed herself the guilty pleasure of such stolen moments and she decided this time she would indulge a little.

Ares lathered the soap and worked it through her dark tresses. Handing her back the soap, he massaged her scalp gently starting at her temples and working his way to the base of her skull.

"You are so delectable, Xena. Do you know how I ache for you?"

"It's fairly evident right now," she purred and swiveled her hips so that her ass brushed along his hardening cock.

"It's not nice to tease me, Xena," he warned, "give me back the soap."

She handed him the bar and he ran it along her neck and shoulders. She moaned in delight.

"You're so tense, Xena, what in Tartarus has got you all worked up?"

"Been working a lot lately, getting the temple in order."

"Ah, yes, my temple that you ran me out of it, Seems I remember something about that," she could tell he was still hurt by her rejection but he was trying to play it off.

He ran the soap under the water and down her back. When she leaned back into him, he took it as a sign that he had permission to wash the front. He brought the soap up to her breasts and began to give them the same treatment that he had used on her back, rubbing the soap in gentle circles.

She sucked in a deep breath at the sheer pleasure of him caressing her with the soap. Subconsciously, her legs parted. He turned her to the side and dipped her head and upper body back into the water to rinse the soap from her hair. He held her with one strong arm as he worked the soap out with the other. When he was satisfied that her hair was free of soap residue, he stood her back up but facing him. He handed her the soap, indicating that she should clean him.

If only she could clean him. Was that what he was suggesting? Here she had been reveling in the sexual delight of him touching her but he had only been washing her. If anything, she'd been the one to act brazenly, grinding herself on him. She was beginning to think that he wasn't the problem but that she was.

She took the soap. She would give it an effort. If he could muster enough control to bathe her then surely she could do the same.

"Wet your hair," she ordered.

There was no cocksure smile on his face,no sinister sneer of victory. When he emerged from the water all she saw was serenity. She worked the foamy soap into his hair. He had worn his jet hair short the last few years but recently he was letting the curls grow out in the back. She had always loved his long hair. It added to his bad boy demeanor which drove her mad with passion. Surprisingly, however, the short hair left her just as breathless. When she had finished the lather, she instructed him to rinse it out. He complied and she set to work massaging the soap along his square shoulders and down the contours of his magnificent chest. The hairs of his chest helped create a rich lather.

"Ahh," he moaned as she worked the soap across one of his nipples. He tensed and she felt his cock jump against her thigh. She didn't know how he was restraining himself because she was about to lose it. But when she looked up at him he looked back at her as if she were an angel sent to cleanse his soul. Could things be clean between them or would there always be shame? Worse, she wondered, if it were the shameful things that aroused her? It couldn't be only that, she told herself, because she was just as turned on by him in that moment as she had ever been on the battlefield or during a post-battle tryst.

She dropped the soap and snaked one hand around his neck bringing the other up to caress the beard that ran along his jawline. "I'm sorry," she said and she pulled his mouth down to hers for a tender kiss.

When she broke the kiss, she had tears in her eyes which pissed her off. She didn't want to cry in front of him.

"Thank you," he hooked his finger and ran his knuckle along her cheek.

"Ares, look, I don't know how to deal with this, with you . . . with us, but I do know that I shouldn't have discarded your offer to help the other day."

"It's okay, Xena, I understand, I haven't always made it easy for you. ."

"No, but I haven't always given credit where credit is due, either. Let me make it up to you," she offered.

"You just did."

"No. I mean, look if you're interested, why don't you have dinner with us tonight?"

"Dinner with you? At the temple? With Gabrielle?"

"Yes, please, the kids keep asking about you anyway. I know the food won't be up to your Olympian standards. . ."

"Maybe not, but the company will be better," he retorted.

Xena smiled and shook her head. "Don't tell Aphrodite that you'd rather eat grub with a bunch of mortals than have her feed you ambrosia and nectar."

"Our secret," he pressed a finger to his lips and winked at her.

"One of many," she winked back, "now let's head back to our temple."

Our temple, had he heard her right? He certainly liked the sound of it.

As soon as the words left her mouth, Xena realized the implications of what she had said but the words were out there and she couldn't deny the truth in them. In many ways, the Amphipolis temple would always be their temple, just in a different way now.

She was tempted to walk hand and hand with him back into town but resisted the urge. Baby steps, she told herself, baby steps.


	8. Chapter 8

Gabrielle was throwing the kitchen scraps out the back door when Xena and Ares came walking up the footpath that led to the river. The only other time she had seen Xena that relaxed around Ares was during his too brief stint as a mortal, it unnerved her. Gabrielle understood the reasons Xena had restored him to his godhood but she didn't like it. As soon as he had gotten his goodhood back, he went right back to his old tricks, playing the Romans off against the Amazons, all in an effort to win back a few worshippers. Why couldn't he just accept that the hegemony of the Olympians in Greece had come to an end?

As they got closer, Gabrielle could see that Xena was smiling and that her hair was still damp from bathing in the river. Ares had her towel thrown casually over his bare shoulder. Like Xena, he was smiling and it served to soften his otherwise hard features. She nearly gasped out loud when she realized that Ares' hair was wet too. Well, Well, Well, what had the Warrior Princess been up to this afternoon? She shook her head trying to jar the carnal images that flooded her mind.

"Gabrielle," Xena called as they closed the last ten meters between them and the bard, "how long til dinner?"

"Just finishing up, I just sent Iason over to let the others know."

"You're in for a treat, Ares, Gabrielle is a magnificent cook. She does wonders with fish. And she makes these delicious little dumplings."

"No dumplings tonight. Wait, he's staying for dinner?"

"I hope that's not a problem," Xena glared at Gabrielle.

"I promise, I'll be on my best behavior, Blon - - er - Gabrielle," Ares stammered.

"And, if he's not, he can take his ass back to Olympus," Xena warned.

Ares threw his hands up defensively, "Look ladies, I said I promise. What do you want? I'll swear on the head of Zeus."

"That won't be necessary. Come on you can help me set the table," Xena said as she patted him on the bicep. She gave it a tender squeeze, allowing herself a brief indulgence.

"Don't you have any slave girls for that?" Ares knew Xena was luxuriating in the feel of his strong body. Her hand on his warm skin sent a jolt through him but he let it slide without comment.

Gabrielle had also noticed the physical interchange. Xena was insane if she thought she was fooling anyone. It was subtle, Gabrielle would certainly give her credit for that. To the untrained eye, it could have looked like a friendly pat but Gabrielle knew Xena and she picked up on the firm squeeze of his muscle and noticed the way Xena let her forefinger run the length of his upper arm before she pulled away. Gabrielle wanted to let herself believe that it was just Xena being an imp and teasing the god of war but the longing in Xena's eyes betrayed the truth.

"What do I need slave girls for when I own you?" Xena had said it in jest but everyone in the room knew the naked truth behind the statement.

"The napkins are still hanging with the wash, I'll grab them off the line," Gabrielle said to break the tension in the room and to give herself a graceful excuse to exit the situation.

"You know, if you didn't want me to stay, you didn't have to invite me."

"I'm sorry, it didn't mean it like that, I shouldn't trivialize your feelings for me. Forgive me?"

"Done."

"Good, now take these out to the altar," Xena handed him six mugs.

"The altar?"

"We converted it to a dining room table."

"You converted the altar, my altar to a table? To a table that people eat off of?"

"Well, moving it wasn't much of an option, it's kinda set in place. Don't worry, I cleaned it, thoroughly!"

He wondered if she had been more worried about ridding it of the residue of animal sacrifices or if she had been more concerned about washing it clean of any traces of their sexual trysts. How was he going to sit across from her at that altar and fight off the vivid memories of feasting on her body?

Xena followed behind Ares carrying a stack of plates. "I'll grab some more mugs, we'll need at least two more and that's if Mikal doesn't decide to join us. We may have to pull the couch over here for more seating. Or you could bring some chairs from the entry hallway."

"So it's come to this?" Ares muttered to himself when Xena was out of earshot, "the god of war doing menial work in his own temple." What surprised him was that he was doing it willingly just to be in her presence!

After they had set the table, Xena told Ares that his vest was downstairs if he wanted to go get it. It was interesting, he thought, that she would have taken it down there. He was tempted to visit their secret lair, after all, it had been a while and the room evoked so many pleasant memories! He briefly considered whisking them both down there and seducing her but remembered that he had promised to behave. He materialized a new vest, identical to the one he usually wore and slipped it on.

"How's that? More presentable for dinner?"

"Yes," Xena answered with a dry mouth. When he flaunted his powers in her presence it always turned her own which embarrassed her. It was ridiculous really, I mean he was a god after all, how simple it must be for him to manifest something as mundane as a vest out of thin air. But perhaps it was the effortlessness with which he did it that attracted her. There had been a time when she craved and sought such powers, albeit for more sinister ends.

The dinner party was larger than Xena had expected. In addition to the four children that stayed at the temple, Dalin had come over when he heard they were having fresh fish. Xena knew that Malkus would be joining them for dinner but she was pleasantly surprised that Lysa had decided to come along. The young woman secluded herself too much for Xena's liking. She realized that Lysa had lost her entire family to the plague but Xena didn't think that avoiding human contact was going to help her heal. By the time the fish hit the table their party numbered ten. Xena thanked Malkus again for the fresh vegetables. The carrots and baby potatoes complemented the trout well. Xena wasn't sure what spices Gabrielle had used to season the swimmers but it was yummy. Xena noticed that Ares had even cleaned off his whole plate without a grimace.

After dinner, the children talked Gabrielle into regaling the group with a story about the Warrior Princess. The bard instructed everyone to arrange their seats in a semi-circle. Malkus and Ares lifted the couch and set it in down so that it created the arc of the half-circle. Ares sat on the end of the couch with the raised back and the skull embellishments. He hoped that Xena would choose to sit beside him. As she started walking toward him, Lysa shyly sat down beside him. Ares thought it would be rude to show his disappointment so he just nodded at the woman and smiled. Xena had had every intention of sitting by the god but she wasn't about to ask Lysa to move. Instead, she took the seat next to the couch on Ares' end. Gabrielle lit a couple of more candles to read by and sorted through her scrolls trying to decide the appropriate story to tell. Once she had settled on the tale, she cleared her throat and turned to her audience.

Just before the bard began to speak, Daria darted across the circle and climbed into Ares' lap. He froze. What was he supposed to do? He looked to Xena for help. She only grinned, taking pleasure in seeing him at a loss for what to do with the small child. He looked to Gabrielle, maybe she'd save him. Gabrielle just rolled her eyes. Finally, he looked at Daria who was beaming at him with those big blue eyes. He sat back against the couch and tucked her into the crook of his right arm.

"Aww," Lysa gushed at the sweetness of the gesture. She could use a man like him around now that her husband had passed. She hoped that she would be able to get to know him better.

Xena noticed Lysa's appraisal of Ares and had to swallow the jealous bile that threatened to spill from her mouth. She didn't want to think about where the jealousy had come from. She certainly had no claims on him! He was free to indulge himself with whomever he chose, mortal or immortal. And indulge he had! Discord, Mavican, Eve!

Ares could feel Xena staring daggers at him. He turned his head to look at her. What had he done? His eyes begged for an answer, all she gave him was a sneer.

"I sing of Xena, the mightiests of princesses," Gabrielle started.

"Are you a real princess?" Kallias asked wondering if she were somehow related to royalty.

"No," Xena answered, "and don't interrupt the story."

"Hmph," Ares expressed his disagreement at Xena's answer only to receive another withering glare from his warrior.

"Xena had just given birth to her daughter Eve, she and her companion, Gabrielle, the Battling Bard of Potidea," Gabrielle ignored Ares chuckle at her moniker, "were being pursued relentlessly by the Olympian gods. The battle eventually came right here to Xena's hometown."

"The siege of Amphipolis," Mikal exclaimed with glee.

Gabrielle nodded and continued, "Athena was set on destroying Eve because Xena's child was prophesied to bring about the Twilight of the gods."

Xena felt guilty. She looked to Ares, knowing that this story would be painful for him to hear. Why did Gabrielle choose this story?

He was listening attentively, Daria had fallen asleep against his chest.

"Ares, seeing an opportunity, tried to use the situation to his advantage. He attempted to pressure Xena into joining him, into giving him a child of their own," Gabrielle continued to recount the events.

Ares leered at Gabrielle, she would never share his vision where Xena was concerned but he wished if she were going to tell a story about him that she would have at least told one where he had acted more nobly.

Xena had quit listening to the story She couldn't take her eyes off of Ares and Daria. The child had already fallen asleep. The brown-haired girl looked so peaceful laying in his arms. She wondered what he would be like as a father. Oh, she had toyed with the idea when she was a warlord but that was all about a legacy. For the first time, she contemplated what it would really be like to raise a child with him. Was he capable of fatherly compassion? Daria trusted him implicitly. Ah, the innocence of youth.

"Xena cut a deal with Ares," the words brought Xena back to the story, "if he saved Eve then she would be his. Ares agreed and fought against Athena ultimately defeating the goddess. When Ares realized that Xena had only been using his own manipulative tactics against him he left and Xena, Gabrielle, and Eve were safe for the time being. But in his parting words he had asked Xena if she had felt something for him when they had been alone in the temple. Stoically, Xena responded that she had felt nothing. Ares disappeared into thin air and only then did Xena admit that she had felt something."

Xena sat in stunned silence. Why had Gabrielle revealed that? She had said it in trust. It wasn't something that was meant to be shared, certainly not with him. She could see Ares looking at her from the corner of her eye. He wasn't smiling. If anything, she thought he was as upset as she that Gabrielle had chosen to disclose that particular aspect of the story.

"I sing of Xena, the mightiest of princesses," Gabrielle said in closing.

The bard knew that Xena was going to be furious but it would not have been true to the scroll to have left it out.

The audience clapped but they all cast awkward glances in Xena and Ares' direction.

The clapping stirred Amyntas and he started bawling on the nearby pallet. Thankful to have something to do, Gabrielle scooped the baby up and tried to soothe him.

Gabrielle's story had caused Lysa to have second thoughts about Ares, he seemed like a manipulator. And more, if Xena had feelings for him, she certainly didn't want to get on the Warrior Princess's bad side. So, she bid them all a good evening and asked Dalin and Mikal to walk her back to her place.

Iason offered to help set Malkus up a temporary sleeping cot in his room. Kallias and Cyrena broke into an impromptu re-enactment of the fight between Athena and Xena with Kallias taking the role of her great-aunt.

"Which room is hers?" Ares asked Xena indicating Daria with a nod of his head..

"Two doors down from mine. Her cot is the one with blue blanket."

As Ares headed down the hallway with Daria, Xena confronted Gabrielle, "What in Tartarus was that about?"

"Xena, I didn't think it through when I started it. I was trying to find a story that the children would relate to. And since it took place here in their hometown. . ."

"You couldn't tell the one about Draco!"

"I have to re-write that scroll, you used it as a diaper last week!"

"I could have told that one by heart," Xena spat.

"Look, I'm sorry."

"Well, you could've left some stuff out don't you think?

"Xena, I'm a poet, I don't edit to make things more comfortable for you."

"It's not me I'm worried about."

"Oh, Ohhhh, you're worried about his feelings."

"He had to sit and hear how I manipulated him, Gabrielle, played him for a fool, that couldn't have been easy. And, in front of all of those people, people he barely knows. It was cruel."

"Xena, I didn't mean it that way. Do you think it'll help if I apologize?"

"I can't hurt," Xena responded and took the cranky baby from her friend. "Where's that bottle?"

"In the kitchen but good luck, he doesn't care for it.?\

"He's gonna have to get used to it. And, Gabrielle, tell Ares not to run off, I want to see him before he leaves."

Gabrielle padded softly down the hallway to the girls' room. Ares was pulling Daria's covers over her sleeping frame when Gabrielle walked into the room.

"You gotta minute?" She asked and thumbed toward her own quarters.

He nodded and followed down the hallway..

It was so strange for him to see the acolytes' room converted into a nursery. He had never considered that a child might be raised in one of his temples. Leave it to Xena, he thought, she was always making the impossible happen.

"Ares," Gabrielle turned to face him, "I may have used poor judgement in choosing that story. If it hurt you in any way, I want you to know that I am sincerely sorry . . "

"Gabrielle, it's okay," he felt embarrassed by her apology.

"No, it's really not. You know that I think you are a colossal ass but that doesn't mean that Xena doesn't have feelings for you. . .and you for her, no matter how misguided I think those feelings are. Do you think we can really get along? For Xena's sake?"

"Colossal ass, huh, well since you put it so nicely. . . my turn, you know that I think you are an irritating little back pimple but that doesn't change the fact that Xena thinks the world of you, so yes, for Xena's sake we can try to stand each other's company."

Gabrielle extended her hand, Ares did likewise and the two clasped arms in a tentative truce. Although the truce had been spoken they eyed each other with distrust.

"Just one thing, Gabrielle,"

"Yes?"

"Did Xena really admit to you that she had feelings for me then?"

They were interrupted by Xena entering the room with the wailing baby.

Xena was bouncing Amyntas gently and singing a soft lullaby but to no avail.

"You're right, he won't take the bottle! And, I think he may be teething, he keeps putting his fist in his mouth."

"Maybe he wants to eat it," Ares offered.

Xena gave Ares a sarcastic smirk which let him know what she thought about his input.

"Here, quit bouncing him, sway with him like this," Gabrielle took the baby and began rocking her body side to side. Amyntas quit wailing long enough for Gabrielle to give Xena a satisfied smile. Then, he started bawling even louder than before.

"Oh for Hera's sake, give him here," Ares took the baby.

Both women stood with their hands on their hips, fully expecting him to fail as they had done. Ares cradled the baby in his strong hands and began to exude a golden glow. He pulled the baby into his chest and began to murmur and ancient Archaic chant. Within minutes, Amyntas was fast asleep in the god's arms. Without gloating, he laid the infant quietly in the crib that Xena and Mikal had built for him.

He turned to the stunned women, "He was hungry and his teeth hurt, I took care of both, but you are going to need a wet nurse. That's not going to cut it," he pointed to the bottle Xena was holding.

"What did you?. . .Nevermind, I don't even want to know," Gabrielle shook her head.

Xena wondered if he would ever cease to amaze her. She had been certain that he would have made the child cry even more, after all what comfort could a babe expect in the arms of the god of war. She wondered about the chant he had used, she had never heard him use that dialect. Some of the words were familiar but she couldn't make out all of it. She was reminded that the god standing before her was centuries old.

"Can I see you, in my room?" Xena asked softly?

He responded with a single nod, the delicate timbre of her voice was a rare treat. It filled him with hope.

They walked wordlessly down the hallway. Xena had forgotten to leave a candle burning in the room. When she opened the door it was pitch black. She grabbed a sconce from the hallway and began lighting the sconces in her quarters, as well as the bedside candles.

Determined to let her set the pace, Ares waited patiently for her to open the discussion.

"Would you like to sit down?" She gestured to one of the two chairs that occupied the far corner of the room. It had served as the head priest's reading nook. Xena didn't read that often but she liked the feel of it and it was a good spot for her and Gabrielle to enjoy their evening mead after the kids had turned in, so she kept it in place.

Ares took a seat.

"Drink?" Xena asked.

"I'll pour my own," Ares materialized a clear glass amphora filled with honey-colored nectar and poured it into one of the goblets that occupied the table.

Xena raised and eyebrow as if she were unimpressed but he knew better.

He filled Xena's goblet from the wine decanter. A few red drops sloshed over the side of the cup and onto the table.

"I was going to have mead but thank you," she sat down in the chair opposite from Ares.

"Call it a compromise, If I had it my way you'd be imbibing this nectar."

Xena smiled sweetly, "you never give up."

"Not on your life," he languidly sipped from his cup. His eyes watched her over the rim of the goblet.

Xena picked up her own vessel and swallowed a mouthful of Bacchus' gift. She felt its warmth spread through her chest. His intent gaze caused warmth to spread to other places. She knew she'd have to be mindful of just how much she was drinking with him in the room. She could smell the nectar, she had smelled it on his breath countless times before. The lure of it was more intoxicating than the wine. His gaze,however was the most intoxicating of all.

Xena sat her goblet down and cleared her throat.

Here it comes, he thought, I'm about to find out what she brought me in here for.

"Did Gabrielle get a chance to talk to you?"

"She did, we reached an agreement of sorts," he confided.

"How's that?"

"Let's call it an armistice," he smiled and took another drink of his viscous amber treat.

"An armistice?"

"Well, it's not really a peace since nothing has really been resolved. So, it's really more like a cease-fire."

"I see," Xena ran her finger along the rim of her goblet. "What were the terms?"

"We've agreed to be amicable to one another out of respect for you."

"So, you've manage to broker a deal that works in your favor, I suppose that shouldn't surprise me, you are the god of war after all," her voice dripped with desire.

"How so?" he knew she was right but he wanted to hear her take on the situation.

"You think if Gabrielle is okay with having you around then you can spend more time with me and chip away at my defenses."

He pursed his lips and nodded his head subtlely, she knew him well. He downed the last dram of the divine liquid.

"Sounds like as good a plan as any, Xena. But, I really am trying to be sincere here. I can't help that an agreement between Gabrielle and me works in my favor."

"True," Xena ceded.

They sat in silence for a few minutes. Xena finished her drink and Ares picked up the decanter to pour her another. She held her and over the top of the goblet.

"One's enough for tonight,"

He knew she was going to ask him to leave. All in all, he thought it had been a good night. They had spent a wonderful afternoon together. Dinner was bearable, Gabrielle's story had even led to an understanding of sorts. And, he had capped the night by having drinks with his goddess.

"As you wish," he responded.

"Ares that story. . ."

"It's okay Xena, I was being a colossal ass, Gabrielle's words, trying to manipulate you into coming back to me. When you come back, I want it to be because you want to." He stood up.

"When?" Xena rose and walked toward him, "A little over confident aren't we?"

"Hopeful," he answered honestly.

"Well, I would show you out but you don't exactly have to use the front door, so let's just call it goodnight," She closed the space between them and kissed him tenderly on the corner of his mouth.

"Thanks for tonight, Xena. It meant the world to me. Can I see you tomorrow? I want to bring you something."

"Ares, I don't need gifts, you know you can't buy me."

"I do, you've never been that kind of girl. Anything you want, you get on your own. It's a surprise and it's not just for you."

"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow, then," she agreed and kissed him on the corner of the mouth again.

"Careful, or I'm gonna think you like doing. . .," he teased.

The move of his thick lips was too much, she couldn't resist. She slid her mouth over his and cut off his remark. She could taste the remnants of the nectar on his tongue. He had told her years ago that those trace amounts would not affect her mortality, although in those days she had hoped desperately that they would. He pulled her into him and deepened the kiss. The crush of his body against her threatened to open her flood gates and she knew she had to stop things and fast. She pulled back abruptly. Her eyes watered with sheer delight.

"See you tomorrow," she panted.

"Count on it," he shattered into shards of silver light.

Xena stood stock still attempting to compose herself after he left. A couple of deep breaths. A couple more. Oh fuck breathing exercises! She threw a couple of kicks in the air and shadow boxed and imaginary opponent.

The workout did little to cool her off, she knew there was only one thing shy of throwing the god of war down and fucking him senseless that would ease her tension. She lay on the bed and began pleasuring herself. She didn't care that it was going to be fast and furious. She rubbed her clit vigorously with the forefinger and middle finger of her right hand while she massaged her left breast firmly, rolling her nipple between her forefinger and thumb. She was so excited, she was becoming more frustrated instead of reaching her release. She glanced back over to the nook where they had been sitting. She half expected to see him sitting there with a self-satisfied grin but she knew he was nowhere around, she couldn't sense him. She eyed the goblet from which he had been drinking. She quickly grabbed the bronze cup, she looked into the bottom, a single drop of nectar pooled there. The temptation to partake of the immortality-giving substance had never been stronger. She brought the goblet back to bed with her. Using her long middle finger, she dipped into the cup and scooped up the droplet. The nectar ran slowly down her finger, Xena brought her hand to her face and inhaled, gods it smelled like his hot breath. She resisted the urge to lick the sweet wine of the gods and instead went back to work massaging her clit. The thick liquid tingled as she worked it wildly over her nub and through her folds. Visions of him in the water with her earlier in the day filled her head. She could feel him washing her as she crashed in waves of rolling orgasm.

"Areeesss," she cried as she finally found the relief that she sought.


	9. Chapter 9

Ares had heard his love call his name in the throes of passion and as hard as it was to ignore it, he did so for her benefit. If she had been ready to be intimate with him, she would have asked him to stay the night. But playing the gentleman was never his strong suit and resisting the urge to go to her had taken every ounce of resolve that he could muster. War, he knew, would preoccupy him. So, he decided that his best course of action would be to check in with Zandar and see if he was making any progress against Sarkon the Slayer.

Ares materialized in Zandar's war tent without a glimmer of warning. His lead warrior was discussing with his next in command the best way to draw the Slayer into a field battle. Both warriors went down on one knee when Ares flashed into the tent.

"Rise, rise, please, I told you that's not necessary in the privacy of your tent, Anyway, how goes it?"

"Well, my lord, my scouts have reported that Sarkon has turned back southward. I want to split the forces and trap him in the valley leading into Potidea." Zandar was confident that his plan would work. They would send a party along each ridgeline and then a platoon would follow behind the Slayer's men after they entered the valley.

Ares was satisfied that the maneuver would work and told Zandar to carry on as planned. His subconscious, however, kept telling him there was a better way to deal with Sarkon. But, until he formulated a better plan they would stick to the traditional flanking measures that his general proposed.

"How long until you plan to engage?" Ares asked.

"It depends on whether or not he keeps moving at the same pace and of course, I'll have to adjust the plans should he change direction again. He is a little unpredictable. His lust for murder seems insatiable."

"Very well. Keep me posted."

"One more thing my lord, it's been reported that some peasants have taken residence in your Amphipolis temple. I can dispatch a unit to remove them if it pleases you but I really need all my forces to take on the Slayer should the opportunity to move present itself."

Ares chuckled inwardly at his young general referring to Xena as a peasant. This kid had no idea that he'd never be a match for the Warrior Princess. Ares knew that if Xena was riding at the head of his army that Sarkon would have already been destroyed, her lust for vengeance had once been as insatiable as Sarkon's lust for murder.

"Leave the peasants alone, they are there with my blessing."

Zandar looked at his god curiously but replied, "As you wish, my lord."

As Ares disappeared into the aether he reminisced about a time when those words had been spoken through more delectable lips.

Gabrielle had set out for Potidea at sunrise. Malkus offered to give her a ride as far as his farmhouse which made Xena feel a little better. She knew Gabrielle was a capable warrior in her own right but with a maniac like Sarkon on the loose, she worried about her friend, nonetheless. Shortly after they rode off, Xena, Iason, and Mikal began tilling up the gardens. It was still early enough in the season that they should be able to get a serviceable garden put out. By noon, Ares hadn't shown up and Xena wondered if had decided not to visit after all. Although she couldn't help but be disappointed at the thought of him not dropping in, she knew it would be in everyone's best interest if he stayed away. The children had already warmed to him and she was afraid that he would only hurt them in the end.

In the early afternoon, they broke for lunch. Xena didn't want the kids slaving in the fields in the hottest part of the day. She told them to grab a bite and find a cool spot to relax for a couple of hours. After washing up, Xena went to Estor's shop and traded him some of the carrots that Malkus had brought them in exchange for a fresh loaf of bread. She had smelled it baking all morning, her mouth had watered and her belly had grumbled while she worked the soil. She cut the loaf in half, then divided the half-loaf six ways and doled out pieces to the children. The girls had finished hanging the wash and had joined the boys who were lounging at the front entrance to the temple when Xena returned with the bread.

"I'll be inside if you need me," she told the kids and took Amyntas from Kallias who had carried him in the sling while the girls had done the laundry. Xena was worried at how little he had grown in the weeks since life had thrust the children in her path. She carried him into the kitchen and grabbed the makeshift bottle that he hated and tried to get him to feed. He fussed and turned his head side to side to avoid the nipple.

"You have to eat something, little guy."

Xena carried him into the throne room and sat down with the baby on the couch. She cradled him and tried to squeeze some of the milk in his mouth since he wouldn't suck at the bottle. She was beginning to get frustrated and feared she would have to take him back to Greba when she felt a familiar current run through her veins.

She hated just how delighted she felt!

Ares appeared in a flash of brilliance but he was not alone. He was holding the hand of a lovely twenty-something blonde. Xena fought a twinge of jealousy. She had never seen this woman before. She wasn't one of his godly consorts, so who was she?

Ares could see the curiosity and jealousy in Xena's eyes. He toyed with letting her sweat a little but he had caused her enough pain.

"Hello Xena, I've brought you a gift," he gestured to the woman.

Xena looked at him cluelessly. He had brought her a slave? Did he really think she would use a slave?

He pointed to the woman again at her perplexed look.

"Meet, Lavinia,"

"Lavinia?" Xena asked.

"Yes, Lavinia, Lavina this is Xena, she'll be your employer."

"Just what will I be employing her for?"

Ares gestured again to the bombshell as if it should be obvious, "Xena, really? Look at those," he pointed to the swollen breasts, "she's your nursemaid."

"Oh, I see, this is your gift, your gift to me and the kids is another person?"

"Can't you just be grateful? I am paying her after all. I'll even throw in weekly rations if you can't afford to feed another mouth. 

"Lavinia," Xena smiled at the girl, "you have experience as a wetnurse?"

"Yes, ma'am," the girl responded.

"Xena, just call me Xena," when the younger woman called her ma'am it reminded her of own advanced age and she didn't want to think about all the years she had on this young woman even if she hadn't been encased in ice for twenty-five damn years thanks to Ares.

"Xena. Okay, Yes, Xena, I've worked for kings and princes and served at the temple of Tethys.?"

"And just how do you know Ares?"

Xena knew the question would tip her hand to him, he would see the jealousy but she had to know if he had been banging this bimbo before she agreed to let her into her home.

"He found me this morning at Tethys' temple. The priestess said that I could take his offer if I chose. When he told me about these poor children, I knew that I had to help."

Xena felt bad that she had thought the girl was a bimbo. It was just that she was only used to seeing Ares with two types of women, warriors or whores, sometimes he ordered the combo and got both in one body.

Amyntas whimpered in Xena's arms.

"Is this Amyntas?" Lavinia asked.

"It is," Xena answered, surprised that Ares had remembered the child's name much less had the forethought to relate it to the girl.

Lavinia walked across the room and stood before the couch waiting to be invited to sit.

Xena looked at her oddly, not used to such formalities.

"Oh for Hera's sake, Xena, offer her a seat," Ares instructed.

"Oh sorry, I'm just used to people sitting when and where they want. Look, Lavinia if you are going to live here, you have to drop the formalities. I am no queen or goddess."

"But he said you were a Princess," It was Lavinia's turn to look at Xena with a confused stare.

Xena rolled her eyes, "I'm not that kind of princess and between you and me, he's delusional half the time," Xena leaned in conspiratorially and whispered the last part.

"I heard that sweetheart," Ares remarked.

"Here, do you think you can get him to eat? He hasn't gained any weight in two weeks," she unhooked the sling from her neck and handed the baby to Lavinia.

The wetnurse exposed her engorged left breast by unclasping a flap in her gown. She held the child to her bosom and Amyntas nudged around the tit before finding the nipple and latching on.

As Ares watched the hungry baby feed at Lavinia's breast he had to tamp down the old urge to see Xena suckling a child of their own. He had watched her with Eve and had been amazed at how effortlessly his warrior transitioned into a mother. He had never had the nerve to tell her that it in those tender moments with her daughter that he had found her just as desirable as he ever had with a sword.

Xena saw him staring at Lavinia's breast and gave him a "you disgusting pig" look.

He threw up his hands in innocence. Gods would she ever trust him again? Maybe he should just tell her he had been thinking about her and not lusting the blonde's large boobs. But he was afraid if he brought up Eve that he would just open up a whole other can of worms, so he let it slide.

"Where's Blondie?" He decided the best course of action would be to change the subject altogether.

"Not that it's any of your business but she's headed to Potidea to check on her sister and niece," Xena answered still miffed that she had caught him ogling Lavinia's tits.

"Oh Xena," Ares said with concern. At least she thought it was concern, he rarely exhibited that emotion when it came to Gabrielle.

"What? What is it?" She was almost afraid to ask.

"The Slayer, he's headed that way. Zandar's gonna try to trap in the valley leading into town. She could get caught in the battle."

Xena bolted from the couch and ran down the hall to her bedchambers. Ares followed on her heels. She stripped out of the work clothes in which she had been gardening. Her naked body wasn't anything he hadn't seen before, she told herself as she retrieved her leathers and armor from trunk at the foot of her bed.

"I'll get there before you, let me get her and bring her back," he pleaded.

"She'll never trust you, she'll think it is a trap," Xena slipped into the leather dress and slid the bronze breastplate over her head.

"I can give it a try, hey at the very least it will slow her down for you, I could always bring her back against her will," he answered as he stepped to her side to help her hook the breastplate to securely to the backplate.

"Ares, I've never asked for your help," She grabbed her bicep cuffs.

"And, you're not asking now," he handed her the leather gauntlets. "I'm offering and it's not really you I'd be helping, it's Gabrielle."

"Yeah, but you'd be doing it for me, just like Athena,"

"Does it matter why, if it saves your friend?" He turned her body and pulled her hair back and grabbed the hair tie from her bedside table.

"Tight enough?" He asked as tied the sides of her hair up with the cord.

She turned to face him. Thankful that she had him at her side right now, she reached up and kissed him sweetly on the lips, "Yes, and Ares, thank you."

She pulled back but let her hand linger on his stout chest, drawing comfort from his strength. She kicked off the boots she had been gardening in and surveyed the room for her riding boots.

"So it's settled? I'll slow her down." Ares helped her with the laces of her boots.

Xena was about to fold and agree to his terms but Mikal bounded into the room in a panic.

"They are headed this way!"

"Who?" Xena knew what the answer would be before she asked.

"Sarkon!"

Marta ran into the room with old Karina hobbling behind. "Xena, a half-dead rider just rode up to the temple to warn us that the Slayer is headed this way!"


	10. Chapter 10

"The rider, where is he?" Xena asked Marta.

"I have Lysa looking after his wounds at the shrine, Iason is rounding up everyone else, I told him to bring them here," Marta answered.

"Good, can the rider be moved?"

"Not without risk of death," Marta shook her head.

"Did he say how much time we had? Xena asked.

"Half an hour, maybe," Karina responded nervously clenching her hands.

Xena turned to Ares, "I need you to go get the rider and bring him here."

"But what about Gabrielle?" Ares questioned.

"If Sarkon is headed here, then she's out of harm's war for the time being. If I can stop him here then she won't be in any danger. You can move the injured rider quicker than the rest of us . . ."

Xena was interrupted by Lysa barging into the room, "He's dead, he didn't make it," she rasped.

Xena placed a hand on Ares arm to stop him from leaving "No need for that now," she took a deep breath to still herself. How was she going to defend these people from that beast? She had been placed in a similar predicament years ago when Cortese invaded Amphipolis. She had let it turn her into a monster then. She had turned innocent villagers into killers and got most of them slaughtered in the process. She wouldn't make the same mistake this time around.

"Lysa, Marta, Karina, go to the kitchen, grab as many food rations as you can and meet me in the throne room," Xena ordered.

The women anxiously set out to do as Xena instructed.

"You sure you don't want me to get Blondie, so you'll have some help here. Xena, he travels with over thirty men. These children and old women aren't going to be much help against a barbarian of his calibre."

"No, she's safer there, I'll be able to focus better this way. I'll deal with Sarkon, you might want to let Zandar know about the Slayer's little detour here. Though, if his scouts are any good then he already knows it and he may be headed this way himself."

"No, he's patient, he won't engage Sarkon inside a town, he's waiting to draw him into a field battle where his superior numbers and phalanx formation will have the advantage."

Xena shook her head, "Amateur, it'll never work."

"The job is yours for the taking, always has been."

Xena smirked at Ares, "No time for that now, I have to get everyone downstairs and fast."

"You're going to hide?" Ares had never known Xena to back down from a challenge.

"No, I am going to hide them. I am going after that son-of-a-bitch."

Although the thought of watching his warrior slay the Slayer excited him, the old fear of losing her reared it's ugly head, "Xena, it's suicide, I can't let you do it."

"You have such little faith in me, Ares?"

"It's not that, I just don't want to lose you again, Please, we can leave this place, I can transport everyone away from here."

"This place, these people, this is what I am fighting for Ares. We've worked hard to create a home here. And, I have built something I am proud of here, a family, with these children. And who knows, maybe someday, I'll add to that family," she gave him a half-smile, a smile filled with unspoken dreams and promises.

She gently snaked her hand around the back of his neck and pulled his face to within inches of hers. She took in his chestnut eyes. She saw the fear there. She knew he loved her. And, she knew that no matter how much she wanted to deny it, she loved him.

"But just in case I don't make it off the battlefield today, I want to kiss you goodbye this time," she gently pressed her lips to his. He kissed her back tenderly at first but he quickly deepened the kiss, wrapping his arms around her and holding her in a full embrace. He was tempted to just kidnap her. Take her away from here, from the danger. But he knew that she'd only hate him in the end if he did.

Xena broke the kiss but still looked into his loving eyes, "It's what I do," she explained sincerely.

He swallowed hard, "I know. Now let's get these people to safety then we can go kick some ass!"

"We?" Xena left the comfort of his arms and grabbed her sword and daggers.

"We," Ares grinned, "If I recall correctly, the last time we fought for Amphipolis, we won the day. Hopefully today will be a repeat performance."

"I thought it was taboo for the god of war to intervene in the affairs of mortals. Isn't that why your armies do your fighting for you?"

"It's only taboo if I use my powers, which I won't. It'll be a fair fight. And besides, Xena, you're hardly mortal."

"See, that's your problem, you refuse to see that I am."

"Not really, not as long as I can do anything about it. I won't let you go."

"You stubborn ass!"

"I love you too," he winked at her.

"Never give up, do you?" She sighed as she headed toward the throne room with the god of war right behind her. She could feel the energy of battle anticipation rolling off of him in waves. She didn't know how she was supposed to fight side by side with him and resist the urge to pull from that power.

When they reached the throne room everyone was there. Xena was pleased to see that the women had quickly gathered the provisions that she had requested. Xena gave them a briefing of exactly who Sarkon was and what was going on. She told them that there was no time for questions and that she just needed them to listen to her orders so that no one would get hurt. Lavinia looked absolutely panic stricken and Xena could tell that she was wishing she could rewind her life by about three hours to a time before she had agreed to take the nursemaid position.

Xena walked to the throne and triggered the door lever. The ornate chair slid forward revealing the hidden staircase. Xena ushered everyone downstairs. The room was cramped with all the people but it was the safest place in town. Xena grabbed an hourglass and gave it to Mikal.

"I want you to turn this twenty-four times, do you hear me?"

He nodded.

"I mean it Mikal, no one is to come out of this room, until the sand has run it's course twenty-four times. By then, either I'll be dead or they will be."

Daria cried out. Xena went down on her haunches to face the child, "I'll be okay."

"Promise?"

"Promise,"Xena answered.

Ares hoisted the little girl up into his arms, "I'm not gonna let anything happen to Xena, you can count on that," he told the child.

Daria kissed him sweetly on the cheek and hugged his neck tightly. She giggled when his beard tickled her.

"Okay listen," Xena started, "I need everyone to stay as quiet as possible. It's going to be difficult enough to keep Amyntas from crying but I need everyone else to stay mum. If his men come in here, they should not find this room but if they hear voices they may start looking for it. If you hear footsteps assume they are not ours. Ares or I will call out if it is one of us, understand."

Everyone nodded. Ares placed Daria down on the edge of the bed next to Kallias and Cyrena. He patted both girls reassuringly on the head. Iason trembled with nervous energy. Ares couldn't tell if it was fear or a desire to avenge his family.

Ares pulled the boy aside. He didn't really know what to say. He'd had sired plenty of children but had fathered none. He settled on, "You okay?"

"Yeah, Yeah," Iason lied.

"It's okay to be scared, it's natural. That man is an animal but Xena and I together are pretty unstoppable," Ares reassured.

"It's my place to kill him, I should avenge my family," Iason declared.

"Iason, that feeling, that's natural too but trust me Xena is going to hold him accountable for his crimes. You trust her don't you?"

Iason nodded silently.

"Good," Ares produced a small dagger, "If it'll make you feel better, I'll leave this with you. This way if he gets past me and Xena then you can do what has to be done."

Iason slowly reached for the dagger. Xena grabbed it from Ares before the boy could take it. She shot Ares a disapproving look

"What?" he asked clearly unaware that arming a frightened eight year old boy was a terrible idea.

"Iason," Xena turned to the boy, "you'll be safe down here. Mikal knows what to do, you just follow his lead, okay?"

"Okay," he responded.

Xena showed the hideaways the rear exit through the caves and warned, "Do not use this unless it is an absolute emergency. I don't need any of you stumbling into the middle of the battle and getting yourselves killed.," she looked directly at Iason.

"However," she continued, "if the Slayer or his men open the door above, use this exit and run as fast and far as you can. Be careful, though because it is easy to get lost in the caves. This is a last ditch effort, are we clear?"

When Xena was satisfied that everyone was on board, she and Ares grabbed the cache of weapons they had stored there years ago and ascended the staircase, closing the door behind them. She and Ares left the temple side by side, prepared to do battle.

Xena knew Amphipolis like the back of her hand. The numbers were in Sarkon's favor but Xena had the advantage of familiarity with the field of battle. How many times had she defended this village?

Ares interrupted Xena's thoughts, "about the boy, the dagger."

"Will talk about it later, but this isn't Sparta and he's too young. I know you were trying to help."

Ares nodded in agreement. "So what's your plan?"

"They'll come in from that ridge over there, which means they'll be bringing this road in. If your estimation is right and he is riding with at least thirty men, then we need to do something that will take out as many as possible with one direct hit."

"I like your thinking," Ares smiled. He could see her wheels turning. She was magnificent. How did he ever lose her?

"When he comes into town, he's going to notice the X's on the buildings. He will approach cautiously. He'll wonder if there is even anything worth his time here. He might even think the town is abandoned. Still, they are riders and he won't pass up a blacksmith's shop in case there are any useful supplies lying around. Plus, he'll definitely check the grainery. We want to use the element of surprise to our advantage. Still we want to hit them before they spread out too much. I think the most likely spot is where the road coming into town veers off toward the grainery. We should hide some oil casks and hit them with flaming arrows as they make the turn. . ." a gleam of silver light from the treeline at the edge of town grabbed Xena's attention. "We're being watched. A reflection of light. . ."

"It's a signal from Zandar," Ares interrupted her. "He must know that Sarkon's coming this way."

"Go see how many men he has with him, I'll lay the casks of oil as quickly as possible. Bring them down and I"ll set up their positions."

"Xena he's not going to want to take orders from you."

"No, but he will from you," she answered.

"I'll be right back," Ares disappeared.

Xena ran to the tavern and began filling as many oil bags as she could find. She found herself wishing for some black powder from Chin.

Zandar had been surprised to see his god emerge from the temple with the warrior woman. He was even more startled by the fact that it appeared that the two of them were about to take on Sarkon's raiders by themselves. The woman was pointing at a strategic location and it looked as if she were the one telling the God of War what to do instead of the other way around. In that moment, Zandar realized that the woman could be none other than Xena, the Warrior Princess. Like many of her successors, Zandar had heard various legends about Xena and her supposed hold on the war god. Until he saw them together, he had thought that it had been mostly rumor. Now he wondered just what kind of sway this woman held over his god. If she could compel him to engage in a senseless battle over an insignificant little town then she must really hold his balls in her hands the ways some warriors had joked.

Zandar flashed his sword to signal his presence to the god. He watched as the woman and Ares spoke then saw Ares vanish then reappear in front of him.

"My lord," Zandar bowed.

Ares noticed that he only had his advance party of twelve men with him. This would even their odds greatly.

"Zandar, where are the rest of your troops?"

"Awaiting my orders on the road to Potidea."

"Change of plans,' Ares announced, "we're going to engage the Slayer here. We're going to trap him in town, Hit them hard with one blow and then pick of the survivors one by one."

Ares said it in a tone that brokered no argument.

"You want me to take my men in there. There won't be room to maneuver," he pointed out.

"We won't be fighting him in a phalanx. Xena's right. That'll never work. Sarkon doesn't fight that way. He's never going to engage with you in a field battle. If we are going to stop him, it'll have to be on his terms."

"But we run a greater risk of losing men with one on one combat."

"It they're not willing to die for you, or more importantly their god, then their not worthy of being in your army in the first place," Ares raised his voice.

"Forgive me my lord, we are all willing to lay our lives down for you, but you are asking us to risk our lives protecting that woman, isn't that right?"

"Are you questioning my orders, Zandar?"

The tall commander straightened his back making him appear even taller. He had at least two inches on Ares. "No sir, my sword is at your service."

"Good, now get your men down there. Xena will set their positions."

Zandar swallowed hard at the news. He didn't like taking orders from his predecessor much less from a woman but he did as Ares commanded.

When Xena saw Ares returning with a dozen soldiers she was both relieved and dismayed. She knew with these numbers that she'd have no trouble defeating Sarkon but things were starting to feel all too familiar. She had sworn never to lead his army again and yet here she was in an impossible situation.

She could tell that the young general resented her. She couldn't blame him. Hadn't she once worked hard to get to where this young man was?

"You must be Zandar," Xena held out her arm in salutation.

"Pleasure, Xena," Zandar accepted her arm but she could tell that it was anything but a pleasant experience for him.

"I think we should use an opening surprise attack. Even if we are only able to take out a half dozen with it, they will be disoriented and that will give us time to move in and engage them face to face."

Zandar nodded, "it'll probably work but I don't like using sneak attacks it's ungentlemanly."

"Have you seen what this monster does? He's not a gentleman. Zandar, with all due respect, and I do respect what you've achieved by such a young age he's not an easy god to impress," Xena looked to Ares and smiled before continuing, "but if you wait for Sarkon to meet you on the battlefield army to army you'll be waiting until you're as old as me."

His gut told him she was right, so he decided he would go along with her plan.

Ares watched with sheer joy as Xena had Zandar right where she wanted him. He couldn't believe how this day had turned out. His queen was about to lead his army.

"Okay," Zandar answered, "we'll do it your way." He bowed in obedience to Xena and motioned for his men to do likewise.

"That won't be necessary, Zandar, I want you to run lead on this, this is your army."

"But . . ."

"But nothing, I have no plans of taking my old job back. We'll attack when you say and you know each man's strengths. I'll show you the positions but you'll know better who to place where."

"Joint command, then," Ares couldn't let her damper his spirit. She could call it what she liked but by the gods she was leading his army!

Xena glared at Ares.

"Put him on the front line," she told Zandar.

"He's fighting?" the commander was in shock, Ares never took part in battle.

"In a limited capacity and actually if you don't mind, he'll be with me. We work well together."

Zandar nodded and the assigned his men their positions.

As soon as they got set, Xena could hear the thunder of horses hooves.


	11. Chapter 11

Even from the quarter-mile distance that separated them, it was easy for Xena to make out Sarkon when he and his raiders came over the rise. He rode atop a titanic black stallion. His leather armor was studded with silver accents that glinted in the afternoon sun. He wore a silver helmet with a full face-plate and a black horse hair crest. Judging by how far below the horse's belly his feet dangled, Xena guessed him to be taller than even Zandar. If it came to face to face combat, she knew his size would give him a serious advantage. If their clothing were any indication, the ragtag group of bandits that he rode with was a melange of barbarians and Greeks. A couple of his riders wore Scythian helmets while some wore turbans, and others helmets of various Greek designs. Some carried shields and swords but a few were armed with bows. A couple had battle axes and other bludgeoning tools strapped to their horses.

"I told you he was nasty piece of business," Ares whispered to Xena from their hideout position.

"I count thirty-four," she answered.

"Murderers everyone," Ares spat with disgust.

"You know, I thought you'd be a fan."

"Of that? Oh Xena, you should know me better by now. Where's the discipline? Where's the skill? Even when I first took you in, I could tell you had the ability to be a leader, if you could only find your center. He's only in it for killing, there's no greater purpose. "

Xena took in what Ares was saying but didn't have the luxury of mulling over it very long because Sarkon gave the forward order.

His men took the road into town just as Xena had expected. Sarkon and his archers fell back letting the swordsmen take the lead into town. When they reached the edge of the village all dismounted except for Sarkon and five archers. Ares was right, they had little discipline which Xena could instantly see was going to work against her plan. Only a handful of them veered off toward the grainery the rest headed toward various homes and business to do their looting. It took everything Xena had to keep her position when she saw a thug with a warhammer enter the temple of Ares. She hoped those hidden in the basement would not panic.

Xena turned her eyes back to where Zandar was secreted. A single archer crouched at his side with a flaming arrow at the ready. Zandar looked to his god and nodded. Ares gave him a thumbs up then reached down and clasped Xena's hand affectionately.

She gave him a half-grin and shook her head to indicate that such displays had no place on the battlefield.

Then all Tartarus broke loose. Zandar gave his archer the signal. The flaming arrow hit the hidden casks causing them to burst into flames. The seven bandits who had turned toward the grainery were caught in the blaze. They flailed their arms trying to ward of the flames which only caused them to spread faster. Sarkon realized that he was under attack but he couldn't see Zandar's hidden troops. He searched the town wondering if he was being challenged by simple villagers or he was facing a military force. His other raiders made no move to help the burning men. A few of them even seemed to be enjoying the show.

Twenty seven to go.

Zandar gave the signal to his other two bowmen who had remained in the woods to fire. Their orders had been to go after Sarkon first, then his archers. Hopefully, that would even the playing field some. Zandar's archers let their arrows loose. Xena saw the first green fledged arrow hit it's target fatally in the jugular of one of the Slayer's men. Like an inexperienced soldier he grabbed at the offending object and tore it from his throat, blood squirted from his neck, spraying the rider next to him, who quickly dismounted to search for cover.

Twenty six

The second arrow would have hit its mark had Sarkon not raised his silver gauntlet just in time to defect the missile. His armor was strong, Xena thought, the arrow didn't even pierce it. She wondered what kind of metal had been used to craft it. She had only ever seen one metal that strong. She glanced at Ares out of the corner of her eye. If he was playing a game with her she was going to kill him. Had he given this maniac Hephaestian metal just to fuck with her?

Ares caught the disgusted look.

"What?" he begged.

"That's Hephaestian metal, you sick son-of-a-bitch. And to think you almost had me fooled this time," she reached for her sword. God or not she was going to run him through.

Ares clamped down hard to stop her hand, "I did not give him the metal, Xena, I don't have any allegiance with him. Why would I do that? I just told you. . ."

"To screw with me," she interrupted through gritted teeth.

"We don't have time for this, Xena. Come on, keep your focus. If you wanna kill me later, so be it, but right now there is a battle opening up."

In the meantime Zandar's twin archers in the woods had reloaded as had the archer at his side. Sarkon had taken cover and his remaining bowmen were scrambling to do the same. The archer at Zandar's side caught one square in the back as he ran for the tavern. He fell face first onto the ground, he never moved again.

Twenty-five.

Two more arrows flew from the woods, one pierced the right thigh of one of Sarkon's swordsmen. He hobbled toward the blacksmith's door and used it to shield him while he tended his wound. The second hit its mark right in chest of a raider who was too stupid to take cover.

Twenty-four.

As the odds stood at two to one, Zandar began to like their chances a little better. He looked over to his god, he intended to give the order to charge but it appeared that Xena and Ares were in their own heated battle.

"What did you think to accomplish here today, Ares? You getting off on me and Zandar teaming up, is that it? Or did you expect me to strip him of command?" She couldn't pull her sword from its sheath because Ares had a vice grip on her forearm. So she improvised by headbutting him.

The blow to the head knocked him off balance. He fell back taking Xena with him. She ended up sprawled on top of him, giving her the advantage. She reared her knee back fully intending to rack him in the nuts but he disappeared. She blinked and started looking around for him immediately.

In the melee, she hadn't realized that she had given up her position. She heard the whiz of an arrow right before she snatched it out of the air like it was an insignificant fly.

Where had Ares gone? Did he really think he was going to get off that easily?

"I'll prove it to you," she heard him whisper in her ear just as she felt his presence behind her.

Two of Sarkon's men charged her, one carried a broad sword, the other raised a dagger high above his head as he approached. He suggestively grabbed his crotch with his free hand and licked his lips as he got within feet of Xena.

"Charmed," Xena winced then kicked him square in the face, dropping him like a sack of turnips.

The other raider brought his sword down only to meet Xena's in a clash of steel. Xena pushed him off as their swords locked and kicked him solidly in the gut for good measure.

She could still feel Ares but she couldn't see him. She faintly heard Xandar give the charge call just as dagger boy got back up on his feet.

"You're gonna pay for that, bitch. You like to play rough, oh, I'll give you rough," he jutted his hips at her, "I'm gonna fuck you til you bleed."

"You're the one that's gonna get speared," Xena sneered as she ran him clean through. As she watched the life force drain from him, she pushed hard against his shoulder to dislodge him from her sword.

Twenty-three.

After the encounter she realized she had lost Ares' presence. She looked around. Scenes of battle filled her eyes. Zandar's men were fully engaged with Sarkon's. The Slayer's men who had entered buildings to loot and pillage re-emerged at the sound of swords clashing. The brute with the war hammer, however, was still in the temple as far as she could tell. But, a full-on battle was underway.

The flames had spread toward the grainery and Xena hoped desperately that they could get the fire out without it doing too much damage to the town. Her stomach roiled at the smell of the burning flesh and the fresh copper that was starting to fill the air. Another grunt came at her headlong. slashing his sword. She parried his blow, then spun around and gored him with her blade.

Twenty-two

She scanned the area for Ares again. Finally, she saw him materialize as Sarkon mounted his steed and came barrelling toward her.

She whistled for Argo, she couldn't let him have the advantage of height and horse. She needed to even the odds.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Zandar send another raider to Hades.

Twenty-one.

Argo was there in a flash. Xena back flipped onto her mount and reared around to face the advancing killer.

When Sarkon was about thirty paces away, Ares appeared directly in the middle of the path that separated them.

What in the name of Zeus was he doing?

Sarkon was taken aback by the sudden appearance of the god but Xena noticed that he didn't seem to recognize Ares either.

Maybe she had been wrong, maybe she shouldn't have been so quick to judge the god of war.

Emotions, Damn emotions, she couldn't afford to think about all of this now!

Ares had only surprised Sarkon, it hadn't startled him and he only saw him as an obstacle between him and the woman warrior he was intent on killing.

As the Slayer continued toward Xena, Ares defiantly stood his ground. Sarkon would have to go through him if he was going to go after Xena.

Sarkon was less than impressed.

Xena expected Sarkon to ride right over Ares, she expected Ares to disappear just in time to prevent it from happening.

Then a split second before it occurred, it dawned on her what was going to happen. She didn't even have time to throw her chakram.

Sarkon continued to ride hard and swift. Instead of riding straight at Ares, he altered his course by inches. He drew his sword from his right hip with his left hand and with one smooth movement slashed the blade across the exposed chest of the god of war. Ares' pendant dropped to the ground as he fell to his knees in utter shock, his mouth agape, blood streamed down his torso.

"Nooooooooo!" Xena screamed as the scene unfolded in front of her. The bastard's sword was also made of Hephaestian metal.

Xena quickly unhooked her chakram and let it fly in anger. It undoubtedly his its mark but it simply ricocheted off the metallic helmet.

She had to get to Ares to see how badly he was hurt.

"Focus, I am inside you, Xena, I'll always be there," she could hear him but he was fading.

Sarkon and his horse were within feet now, Xena drew her sword. with her right hand and reached to grab her returning chakram with the left. She let out a fierce battle cry as she swung her sword at the Slayer's midsection. He deftly parried her slash as he rode by her. Before turning Argo for another pass, Xena looked down at Ares whose stared back at her blankly. He was going into shock.

"Zandar," she called but he couldn't hear her over the clamor of war. He stabbed another raider who fell to his death but Xena had lost count. Only one life mattered to her right now.

She had to end this fast or Ares was going to be in grave trouble.

The Slayer's horse snorted as it readied for another charge. Argo neighed in challenge. Xena realized that she was going to have to find an opening in Sarkon's armor if she was going to bring him down. She decided to try the armpit. She'd wait for him to swing first this time and as he raised his arm she would thrust her blade into him.

As he rode, she tried to focus all of her attention on hitting her mark. He rode, she rode, they charged at each other with blazing fury. As he got close, he made no move tp lift his sword. Change of plans. Xena kicked his sword from his hand, it flew into the air and thudded to the ground as Xena quickly threw her arm around his neck and using his own body as leverage got on his steed behind him. He was huge, a full head taller than Xena. He tried to shake her off but she ripped at his helmet. It went flying as they both fell from the horse. Xena didn't have time to notice the pain in her ribs. Sarkon's coal eyes burned with sick fury at the banshee who stood before him. He looked for his sword but it was fifteen feet away. Xena let out a piercing war cry and charged. Xena knew that she could not kill an unarmed man, it went entirely against her new creed. Still, she was losing time. She looked at Ares' prone form and nothing else mattered. Right or wrong, murder or justice, she was going to kill the bastard. She aimed her chakram directly for his head, he dodged just in time but was not able to recover his balance before Xena was on him. In one swift arc she brought her blade up and lopped off his head. She didn't even wait for his body to hit the ground before she ran to Ares' side. He was unconscious but still breathing. She called to Argo, she had to get him to the temple.

With their leader dead, Sarkon's men began to give up the battle, running off in different directions. Zandar took stock of his losses when he realized the skirmish was over. Seven dead. Senseless, but at least Xena had cut off the head of the beast both literally and figuratively. When he saw her trying to lift Ares' body, he ran to help her. He ordered his remaining men to put out the fire before it spread farther. As he walked toward Xena, he didn't understand how the god could have gotten injured, he was immortal after all.

"Let me help you," he positioned himself at Ares' feet. The god groaned when they hoisted him up.

"Do you think you can help me carry him to the temple?"

"How did this happen?"

"That metal, she gestured toward the sword. It's Hephaestian but it also must be enchanted somehow. It's not usually this lethal. It is generally used only to chain a god, not to maim or kill."

"I see, where would Sarkon get a hold of something like that?"

"Not sure, I thought it might have been Ares but I was wrong," a lump formed in her throat as she tried to fight back the tears that threatened.

Zandar had the tact not to mention it but he could tell that the relationship between Xena and Ares was not your typical god/warrior bond. She was in love with him and from what he could tell, his god loved this mortal woman too.

"Would another god have done this to get at Ares?" Zandar asked.

"Maybe! They're are plenty that would like to pay him back for his actions during the so-called Twilight of the Gods.?

"Do you know how to treat this wound?" Zandar knew basic battlefield medicine but was afraid that such a gash would be beyond healing. The amount of blood that had pooled around Ares' body would have been fatal to a mortal.

"I am going to do everything in my power," she answered as they reached the front door to the temple, "I saw a raider go in here, I don't think he has come out, we need to watch for him but let's try to get Ares in my room first. I'll lead the way."

They weren't so lucky. The tough heard them as they were opening the door. He came at them with his warhammer at the ready. Their hands were full with the god of war. As the guy slashed at Xena, she ducked and brought her fought up into a hard kick, knocking the guy back enough to give Xena and Zandar the time to gently lay Ares down and face the killer.

"If you leave now, you can save your life," Xena warned.

"Oh yeah, girlie,"

"Have it your way," Xena answered and pulled her sword, Zandar did the same. The thug was dead in seconds. His blood spilled onto the stone floor of the temple.

The effect on Ares was strong. His chosen had just killed in his temple, on his behalf. It strengthened him like no animal sacrifice could have ever done.

"Xena," she heard him mutter behind her.

She turned to see that he had regained consciousness. The wound still marred his magnificent chest but it was starting to heal.

What could have healed him?

At her look of confusion, Ares pointed to the lifeless raider, "the sacrifice."

"It wasn't like that," she argued.

"Doesn't have to be intentional. You did it to protect me. You were serving me in another way. It had the same effect."

"What are you saying?"

"You are my chosen, Xena, when you worship me or serve me, it powers me like no other."

"Is that why you have striven to get me back all these years? Because it will strengthen you?"

"At first," he admitted, "but then I fucked up and fell in love."

"Come on," she sighed, "let's get you in bed."

"Is that all I had to do to get you to take me to bed? Come to within an inch of death?"

"That's all," she answered as she and Zandar supported him on their shoulders as the trio walked down the hall.

After getting Ares into her bed, Xena treated his wound with a medicinal salve and brewed him a tea that would fight off fever in case he got an infection.

She had Zandar to dispose of the thug and clean up the blood before she let the others out of the secret hiding place.

When she returned to her room with the tea, Ares was sitting on the edge of her bed like nothing had ever happened.

She shook her head, "I made you some tea but I guess you won't be needing it," she chuckled.

"Sorry, if I gave you a scare,"

"Me, you didn't give me a scare, I knew you'd be okay. You can't kill a cockroach."

"Ow," he smiled. "Come here."

She sat the tea down on the reading nook table and slowly ambled over to him.

He patted the bed inviting her to sit next to him.

She sat and turned to face him. She reached up and touched his chest. It was restored to all of its godly glory. He amazed her.

"Guess I'll need a new chain for my pendant, huh?"

"Guess so, you know I didn't think to grab it."

"Be right back," he was gone and back in a flash. He laid the pendant on the bedside table.

"Show off."

"You like it," he leaned in toward her.

"How do you think he got his hands on that metal?" Xena asked breathlessly as her pulse quickened.

"Apollo maybe, could be Dionysis. Perhaps even a minor deity."

"Perhaps."

"We don't have to worry about Sarkon anymore, though."

"No," she answered.

"I didn't even get to watch you finish him off."

"Oh you would have loved the rage that filled me."

"Rage?" he asked. "Did something particular upset you?" he added as he grinned lasciviously.

"It's not funny, I thought you were going to. . ." she couldn't bring herself to say it as fresh tears stung her eyes.

Ares was stunned. Here it was! Living, breathing proof that his princess loved him as much as he loved her.

"Now you know how I feel every time you pull that sword." He closed the distance between them. She curled her hand behind his head and brought him down for a deep passionate kiss. He put his arm around her and pulled her body closer. She winced. Her ribs were still bruised from the fall.

"Are you okay? Are you injured?"

"It's nothing," she shrugged it off and began kissing him again.

He wasn't going to press the point. He fervently returned her kisses. She pushed his vest off of him and gently pushed him back onto the soft downy mattress. She straddled the now shirtless god.

"Fighting always did get you worked up," he grinned.

"This is not about that," she answered. "This is about us."

She felt him harden in his leather.

He ran his hands up her thighs, up under her skirt and placed them on each hip.

She unhooked her breast plate. It hit the floor with a gentle clang. He inched her leather dress up over her hips. She grabbed the hem and worked it off of her. As she pushed the leather over her shoulders, her hips pushed downward onto his crotch eliciting a delicious moan from the god. Now, only in her cream colored shift, Xena begin to grind in slow rhythmic circles on his leather enshrouded organ. He fisted the sheets. Xena leaned forward and kissed him, biting his lip gently. He ran his hands up her side, she winced again.

"Xena?"

"Shhs, okay, you feel divine."

"I am," he stated matter-of-factly," as he nibbled along her jawline.

"Ummmm," she gushed as his tongue worked its way down her neck toward her collar bone.

"I could almost come from you touching and kissing me, I've waited so long to let myself have this."

"So you have wanted it?" He slipped one strap of the shift off her shoulder and kissed along her delicate skin. He lightly suckled at the rounded knob.

"Gods yes," she answered at set up. She was growing impatient to have him deep inside her. She slipped the other arm out of the shift and pulled it over her head revealing her nude torso.

He gasped. It wasn't the reaction she was expecting.

"By all that is holy Xena, why didn't you tell me about this?"

Her left side had turned a sickly purple black color, blood was clearly pooling beneath the surface.

Ares quickly transitioned from lover to caregiver, "you're gonna need a poultice on that. How do I make it?"

He gingerly rolled her so that she was on her back and he stood by the bed next to her. His godhood still straining against his leather crotch.

"It can wait," Xena writhed and ran a finger along the ridge of his penis.

"No, it can't and I am not fucking you with a wound like that. It might jar something loose for Hera's sake."

"Great! Nothing like a guy mentioning his mother in bed to spoil the mood. Fine! Marta will know what herbs to use. She's the silver haired lady that warned us about . . ."

"I know, I know, I'll be right back, and Xena please refrain from pleasuring yourself in my absence again."

"Fuck you," she called down the hallway after him. She grabbed his pendant from the side table and hurled it toward him. He halted it in mid-air and gently maneuvered it onto her chest where it held her in place like a weight.

"Don't make me chain you Xena!" He warned.

"Fine, I'll behave," she answered and the pendant returned to its normal weight. She grabbed it and inspected it for a second before placing it in the nightstand drawer. As she was closing the drawer, another pendant caught her attention, the chakram pendant he had given her years ago, the pendant made of Hephaestian metal which could control a god. She had stored it there for safe keeping. She closed the drawer and whispered, "Two can play at that game Ares."


	12. Chapter 12

Xena's wounds were worse than she was willing to admit. When Marta examined the warrioress she discovered two broken ribs in addition to the severe bruising. She made a poultice and ordered Xena to get bedrest for three solid days. Xena threatened to be anything but a cooperative patient. Marta had to assign Xena- duty to the children to make sure the warrior stayed in bed. Since he didn't require the sleep necessary to mortals, Ares took the night shift.

The first night, Xena had slept like a log. Ares assumed her peaceful slumber had had something to do with the strong-smelling tea Marta had brought Xena before she had headed back to her own lodgings that evening. After only a few sips, Xena had dozed off and didn't rouse again until the second cock crow. Ares had enjoyed watching her sleep. He could never tire of her timeless beauty. He had always been mesmerized by her glacial eyes. The fact that they remained closed the entire night had allowed him to take in her other regal attributes. He was captivated. She was something to behold. A goddess whether she realized it or not. Her dark hair had spilled over her shoulders, a lock rested across her collarbone. He had ached to suckle along it and up her neck to her jaw and succulent lips.

As Ares came back to the temple for the second night to relieve Mikal, he realized that Xena was restless and that she wouldn't be sleeping so soundly that night.

Though Ares' sudden arrival startled Mikal, he recovered quickly from the shock, "Thank the gods, you're here. She's grumpy tonight," he thumbed toward Xena.

"You being a bad girl, again?" Ares waggled his eyebrows and took a seat at one of the klismos chairs that made up the reading nook.

Xena shook her head and smirked at him, "Let's see you lay up in bed all day and see how in Hades you like it."

"Depends on the company," Ares taunted.

Xena gave him a look that said not with Mikal in the room.

"Right," Ares answered.

"I'll look after her Mikal, are you staying here or going back to the tavern?"

"I'm staying here, I'm sleeping on the couch in the front room. If you need anything let me know. Kallias will be here in the morning to take over."

"Tell her to go ahead and sleep in, I got things in order today so I could stay through tomorrow night without leaving."

"You sure?" Mikal yawned.

"Yes, now get some sleep yourself," Ares ordered but Xena could hear genuine concern in the command.

Mikal pulled the door closed softly as he left Xena and the god alone.

"I kinda like the kinder, gentler, more compassionate god of war," Xena pushed herself up on her elbows.

"If you don't lay back down, you're gonna see the meaner, harsher, more wicked god of war, Xena. Marta said if you're not very still that you could make things worse."

"Ares, I've treated enough battle wounds to know how to handle this. I wish everyone would just quit babying me!" She huffed but she laid back down nonetheless.

"Look, I know what a first-rate healer you are, Xena. But, I also know how stubborn of a woman you are and I know that you will push yourself and you don't like accepting help from others because you think it makes you weak, but it doesn't. Now, like I told you the other day, I will chain you if I have to!"

"Hmph," she grunted and thought about how fun it was going to be to get even with him!

"I'm sorry? Did you have something to say?" Ares propped back in the chair and kicked his feet up on the table. He twined his fingers behind his head and extended his elbows out. He looked at hard at Xena, "You are dying to call my bluff! Behave yourself."

"Fine," she cried, "what did you find out about the metal Sarkon was using?"

"Oh, you'll love this. Apollo! Bastard didn't even bother to remove his insignia from the sword."

"Did you confront him?"

"Oh yeah, we reached an understanding of sorts."

"How's that?"

"I kinda told him you were worshipping me again and that you were even staying here in my temple and I warned him that if he pulled any stunt like that again that I would personally finish the so-called Twilight and I'd start with him!"

"So he sent Sarkon after you?" Xena was furious.

"Not so much sent him after me but he equipped him with the metal and told him there was good raiding to be had in this area. He knew that I had my army up here. He knew that a showdown was inevitable. Of course, he had no way of knowing that I would personally take the battlefield against Sarkon but he gave him the metal hoping that such a scenario would play out."

"He's the god of prophecy Ares, how can you be so sure he didn't have some idea that you would face Sarkon?" Xena was getting angrier and angrier. If Apollo wanted to kill Ares, he'd have to come through her first. And, although she might not have the power to kill gods anymore, she did have many skills and there were ways to kill a god, she'd find one if need be.

"I don't want to talk about him anymore, Xena. Zandar is holding a meeting in Phillipi tomorrow with some magistrates from the surrounding area. I've asked Marta to go and represent Amphipolis, I hope that's okay with you."

"Ares, I should go,"

He shook his head, "you're in no shape, besides, I've already taken her there. Zandar promised to escort her home after the meeting."

Xena raised up again, wincing as she tried to swing her legs off the side of the bed.

Ares was up and at her side in an instant.

"Xena," he raised his voice. "Please, I don't want to be the bad guy, here."

"Oh but I love it when you're the bad guy!" She teased but grabbed her side in pain. She laid back down exhausted and defeated.

A tear of frustration rolled down her cheek.

"Hey, it's okay, you're gonna get better, it's just gonna take a couple of days. Of course, I could fix it for you." He dug into his pant's pocket and fished out a leather pouch.

She knew what the contents were before she smelled the sweet aroma of the ambrosia when it fell out into his open palm.

He stood in front of her on the side of the bed extending his immortality-filled hand toward her mortal and wounded form.

It would be so easy to just take it. He didn't understand her hesitation. Maybe she didn't love him. Maybe he was deluding himself to think there was even a glimmer of a chance. He walked closer. The food of the gods was inches from her face.

Xena reached her hand to his. His heart raced. Finally, Finally, she was going to become his goddess. She looked him deep in the eyes. All she saw was love and longing. Gods she loved this man. She yearned to join him, to take the ambrosia, to be his. To live an immortal life with the god of her choice.

"You know, Ares, sometimes I think you forget that you are my Chosen too," she smiled as she closed his hands over the ambrosia. "But I'm not ready for that, yet."

Yet? Yet? Had he heard her correctly? His heart backflipped in his chest.

He swallowed hard. She loved him. That was enough. Maybe she wouldn't take the ambrosia right now but he had as much as gotten a promise of hope from her with that one statement.

He wordlessly returned the gelatinous food to it's pouch and re-pocketed it.

He gingerly climbed in bed with her doing his best not to jostle her.

"I know I used to be your Chosen, but things have been so strained between us for so long and when you gave birth to Eve, I just assumed that your allegiance rested with the god of Eli. Do you consider yourself an Elijan, Xena?"

"I love my daughter dearly, but I don't consider myself an Elijan in the same sense that she does, no. But, Ares I don't mean that I choose to worship you. When I think of you as my Chosen, I don't mean that I want to be your supplicant. I mean that I want to be your woman. It's just that things have gotten so complicated between us. There's a lot of blood under the bridge."

"I know and it's mostly my fault, but Xena, if you give me the chance, I swear I will honor it."

"What about the Scorpion and the Swan?"

"I was being an ass, Xena. I was posturing. I was hurt because you rejected another opportunity to be with me with when you refused to eat Odin's apples. I do need and want worshippers, of course, but hurting you never has to be a part of that, I am sorry."

"I am sorry too," Xena nestled up against him. Ares raised his left arm above his head to allow her to use his chest as a pillow.

"What do you have to be sorry for, baby?" He kissed the crown of her head.

"I haven't been completely blameless, Ares. I did use your affections for me against you on a number of occassions. And, when you tried to tell me how your feelings for me had evolved, I wasn't ready to hear it, so I mocked you and taunted you."

The lay in companionable silence for a minute, each processing the other's apology. Xena could hear his immortal heart beating in his chest. The steady rhythm was comforting. She wondered just how long it had been beating. Then she wondered how many other "favorites" had shared nights like this with him.

"Why me?" she asked.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean of all the mortal women, hell, all the immortal women you could have, why torment yourself with a pain in the ass like me?

"Xena, I have asked myself that many a lonely night. It would be so much easier for me if I didn't love you. At first, I thought it was because you walked away. I mean that hurt my pride, especially because of how you left."

"Hercules," they had never discussed it but she knew that it had to have hurt. The sibling rivalry between the two had always been intense. Zeus had only exacerbated the situation by doting on Hercules and berating Ares every chance he got. Xena had often wondered if Zeus' rejection of his oldest son was a rejection of Hera more than it was a disappointment in Ares himself. Either way, Ares definitely suffered from the lack of fatherly affection.

"Yeah, good old Hercules," Ares answered wryly and continued, "Anyway, I knew it was more than you just leaving. It was more than losing a favorite warrior. I've seen many come and go. There's just something about you that I can't quite pin down. You're beautiful, but so are many goddesses and mortal women. You're strong and intelligent. You don't take any shit from me or anybody else. One thing I have always found attractive about you is your dogged determination to do things your way. As annoying as it is, especially right now when I could heal you with the touch of a hand, you've never let me provide you with an easy way out. I've always admired it. You've come back from insurmountable odds so many times, Xena. I've had thousands of women, Xena, thousands of women and no one even comes close to what I feel for you. I've even had other female warriors who I've been amorous with it but nothing completes me like you. I guess the main thing is that I always felt whole. For my entire immortal existence, I never felt empty, until you left. When you took your presence from me, when you took your allegiance, your love, for the first time in my life I felt incomplete. Don't you?"

Xena thought back to Clytie and the sunflowers and answered honestly, "Yes."

Ares reached down and kissed her softly on the lips. She returned the kiss and ran her fingers through the curls that had started to grow again at the nape of his neck.

"I love you, Xena," Ares said and kissed her again, "I know you can't promise me forever, I understand that but. . ."

She placed two fingers on his lips, "shh, let's not talk about tomorrow or eternity, let's just live for the now." She thumbed his bottom lip then traced the beard that outlined his jaw before kissing him again.

He acquiesced by deepening the kiss.

"Stay with me in the bed tonight. Hold me. Tomorrow will take care of itself," Xena promised.

Ares pulled Xena in closer and tightened the blankets around them. With a wave of his hand he extinguished all the candles and lamps in the bedroom.

Xena drifted off to dream in her Chosen's arms.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXAAAAAAAAAAAAAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Two weeks later Gabrielle returned from Potidea. Lila and Sarah accompanied her. Xena was relieved to see that a young blacksmith also traveled in their entourage. Peteos had apprenticed with his father Otus, who had been Perdicas' older brother. He had been searching for an opportunity to leave Potidea for the past two years. He had almost left with a group of merchants who had gone the previous spring to start a new polis on the southern coast of the Mediterranean. The chance to work in Amphipolis lured him because he would be able to run his own shop but also be close enough to home should his parents need him.

Marta had also been able to bring back a couple of new residents with her from the meeting of area city-states that Zandar had held. The town was starting to take on a new life. Xena was confident that Amphipolis would bounce back and be a thriving polis once again.

Gabrielle had been surprised to learn of the events that had taken place in her absence. She was glad that the threat of Sarkon was gone but upset that she had not been by Xena's side when she needed her.

"You should have sent for me," Gabrielle told Xena as she swept the floor to the throne room.

"I happened so fast. . ."

"Uh-huh, don't pull that crap," Gabrielle interrupted, "Ares was here, he could have had me here in a flash."

"I didn't want you to get hurt, I thought you would be safer in Potidea."

"I meant after the battle, I could have helped with you wounds. What if you had . . ." Gabrielle couldn't finish the thought. The idea of losing Xena again was too painful.

"It wasn't that bad, just some bruising and the two ribs, I feel much better. Besides I had plenty of 'help' if you can call it that. Marta had the kids practically keeping me captive."

"And Ares, of course."

"Yes, Ares," Xena couldn't help the smile that brightened her face.

"So you two seem chummy, what's going on with that?"

Xena wasn't sure herself what exactly was going on with that. After the night Ares had spent holding her, they had come to a new phase in their relationship. He had stayed with her every night that Olympus or war had not called him away. They had slept in one another's arms and had engaged in kissing and heavy petting but he was too concerned with her injuries to have intercourse. She had begged him to let her pleasure him orally but he refused. He told her that the next time they were together, he wanted all of her.

"Well, I don't really know what to call it but we've . . . we're . . . well . . ."

"By the gods Xena, just say it already!"

"Say what?"

"You're fucking him?"

"That's crude Gabrielle, and for your information we have not 'fucked'!"

"Well, what then," Xena could really be exasperating.

"Well, we're, I don't know, involved I guess."

"Involved?"

"Yes, he's been staying with me. In bed with me, I think I might be in love with him."

"You think?"

"No, I know that I am. But I don't know what to do with it." Xena slumped down on the couch. defeated.

Gabrielle propped the broom up against the wall and joined her best friend. "Xena, you know that I have always had my doubts about Ares. I don't doubt that he loves you, that he's freaking obsessed with you but Xena do you think you can be with him after all. . ."

"Look, Gabrielle, I know all that's happened. No one has to remind me. None of it changes how I feel about him, how he excites me, how the touch of his hand, the feel of his breath . . ."

Xena stopped mid-sentence and stared over Gabrielle's shoulder.

"Hope I am not interrupting," Eve said as she walked toward her mother with open arms.

Xena bounded off the couch and grabbed Eve in a bear hug.

Gabrielle watched them lovingly. Poor Xena, she thought, if she was having a hard time explaining it to me, imagine how difficult it is going to be to get Eve to understand.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter XIII

After Xena and Gabrielle had welcomed Eve, they enjoyed a light meal of cheese and apples while they filled the Elijan in on the details of how they had come to convert the temple into an orphanage.

"I think it is wonderful, what you are doing. Ares certainly doesn't need anymore temples" Eve started, "have you been able to spread Eli's message to the people here?"

Xena examined the contents of her mug more closely to avoid looking her daughter directly in the eye. She knew she was going to have to have a conversation with her daughter about Ares, eventually. She was also well aware of how badly the conversation was likely to go.

"Actually, many of the people of Amphipolis still follow the Olympians," Gabrielle told Eve without mentioning that Xena was doing a little more than "following" Ares. "In fact, Karina is still a devotee of Artemis."

"Neither of you told her that Artemis is dead?" Eve was confused. She thought that her mother and Gabrielle knew that the time of the Olympians had come and gone. Why weren't they being more diligent in spreading Eli's word?

"Eve, it's complicated. I have always supported people's right to believe however they choose, so long as they are not being coerced," Xena answered and placed her mug on the table.

"I do too, but these people must be told that the Olympians are false gods who have no interest in serving anything or anyone but their own selfish needs and desires," the Elijan challenged.

"Eve," Xena took a warning tone.

"No, Mother! I mean look at this place now and compare it to before, all those years you spent worshipping Ares, building and maintaining his temples, and for what? Nothing more than his selfish glory. He didn't give a fig for helping the poor or orphans. He would have never let you use your army for good."

Xena guessed she was going to have to have the conversation right now!

"Eve, let me stop you right there. Ares has been helping restore this place. He has supported me turning this into a home for the kids."

"Well, he would, wouldn't he, at least now he has you right where he wants you. Where you owe him something."

"She doesn't owe me anything," Ares entered the scene in a flash of light.

Xena bit her lip in frustration. The last thing she needed was him throwing his two cents in. Eve was going to be hard enough to convince without him here taunting her. Xena glared at the god.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt but I can defend myself, Xena. I don't need you to fight my battles."

"Oh, please," Eve spat, "since when? That's what you've been trying to get her to do for years."

"Eve, your mother can have anything of mine she likes, no strings, no questions. She will never owe me anything. In fact, it is quite the opposite, I owe her everything."

Xena was used to Ares saying things like that to her in private. She wasn't, however, used to him saying them in front of her friends and family. She blushed slightly.

Xena walked up beside him and gently rubbed his bicep in a silent thank you.

"Eve, I know how you feel about Ares, and I know you have every reason to mistrust him but I have decided to embrace Eli's message of love and forgive him," Xena said.

"He killed Eli," Eve charged.

"I did . . .I did kill Eli, Eve it wasn't one of my finer moments. Do you think it's something I'm proud of?"

"Yes, I do!"

Ares was getting frustrated, he wasn't used to explaining his motives and feelings to mortals. Xena was the only exception. Even when he had toyed around with Livia/Eve, he never respected her the way he had Xena. She had never been privy to his real emotions. Xena was the only mortal he ever dared show his vulnerable side to. Hades, until recently, he thought she was the only mortal worth showing that side to.

He clenched his fists and closed his eyes. When he reopened them, he looked Eve dead in the eye. "Well, I'm not proud of it. He was a decent guy. I killed him out of fear! Look, I'm not making excuses but the truth is, you are a mortal and you can't even begin to imagine what it's like to lose the promise of immortality, the power that flows within me."

"Always about the power with you, isn't it?" Eve raised her voice and moved angrily toward him.

Xena stepped in between them.

"Watch it, Eve, who's forgetting Eli's message now?" Xena asked then added, "And have you forgotten so soon that if he hadn't sacrificed those powers when we faced Athena that you would be dead now?"

"No, I haven't forgotten, but have you forgotten that he only did that for himself? He watched his sister die at your hands only so he wouldn't lose his favorite warrior."

The way she emphasized the word favorite made Xena wonder if jealousy was coloring Eve's emotions toward Ares.

Gabrielle interjected, "So, clearly we don't all see eye to eye on this issue."

"Don't tell me you are okay with this?" Eve turned her fury on the bard.

"Eve, I am the first to be wary of Ares' motives, you should know that. And, I loved Eli dearly but I have to admit, at least as far as the past few weeks have been concerned, Ares has been very supportive."

Eve threw her hands up in the air. "You're both asking for disappointment if you are expecting anything resembling compassion from him."

She turned to Xena, "And, if you are foolish enough to think that he could ever really understand love then you don't know him like you think you do."

"Maybe you don't know love like you think you do," Xena answered, turned on her heels, and stormed out of the room.

To his credit Ares didn't follow. He knew she needed time and space to process. Neither did he taunt Eve or gloat to Gabrielle.

He simply asked the bard, "Did you still need that wood chopped?"

"Yeah, if you don't mind, Mikal is helping Estor today and won't have a chance to finish it. And if you could bring a few logs into the kitchen, I'd appreciate it. I need to start the rabbit stew if It's gonna be ready by sundown."

"You got it," Ares answered and headed out the back door.

Gabrielle quietly began cleaning up from their meal. She stayed silent to give Eve a chance to mull things over.

"Unbelievable!" Eve barked in frustration and stomped off in the opposite direction of Ares.

x:wp-x:wp

Xena debated on going for a run but somehow she found herself in her bedroom. It had served as her and Ares' private sanctuary since she had been recovering from her wounds. She closed the door, walked over to the reading nook, and poured herself a glass of mead. Ares had been keeping a bottle of nectar on the table next to her mead for the past couple of nights. She picked up the clear glass bottle and examined the honeyed contents. She knew that one solid gulp would be all it would take to make her his for eternity. One dram, one drink and she could join the remaining Olympians. She sat the bottle back on the table and took a drink of her mead. Somehow it didn't offer the same comfort that it normally did. Xena ambled over to the bed and sat down on the side, placing the mead on the bedside table. She pulled off her boots and scooted back on the bed with her back supported against the headboard.

Eve's warnings rang through her head. Nobody needed to lecture her on Ares, that was for sure. Eve didn't even know half the things that he done to her. Sure, she knew what Gabrielle had put in the scrolls for the most part. But even Gabrielle didn't know everything. Xena knew he could be a bastard but she also knew that he loved her. And, she definitely knew beyond any doubt that she was hopelessly in love with him. If she could forgive him, it didn't matter if anyone else did. Oh, it might make things difficult and put a strain on Solstices and other family get togethers, but so be it.

He was making an effort, she could see it. For Zeus' sake even Gabrielle was willing to admit that he had been more helpful than mischievous of late.

A niggling in the back of brain, however, piped up, 'This is Ares you're talking about Xena. This is probably all part of some master plan that you can't see because you've been letting your emotions get in the way.'

She rubbed her temples. She couldn't deny that her emotions were all askew where he was concerned. What if Eve was right? What if he had her right where he wanted her? What if being here in the temple was causing her to get sucked back into his dark vortex? Tartarus, hadn't she just been contemplating drinking the fucking nectar.

Tears of frustration welled up into her eyes. Images from the past few weeks played through her mind: Ares standing with her on the battlefield; Ares being cut down by Sarkon; the two of them giving in to their passion only to have him backing off because he was concerned about her wounds; Ares sitting the first night in the klismos chair to watch over her; the god holding her gently night after night, kissing her softly, but never letting the petting get out of control.

She had marvelled at his ability to control himself. She had felt the evidence of his arousal on many of those nights but still, he had refused to do anything he thought might hurt her. And, he wouldn't even let her pleasure him to relieve the tension. He had been a perfect gentlemen.

Further, he had been helpful around the "house." He had done any chore asked of him and he was wonderful with the children, which had absolutely amazed Xena. They adored him and he seemed to be crazy about them. Xena had seriously begin to consider having a child with him a real possibility.

She wondered where he went. She knew she shouldn't have stormed out like that but she was afraid if she stayed she was going to say or even hear something that she would regret. She felt for his presence. She could tell he was still nearby.

A light rapping on her door grabbed Xena's attention. "Come in," she figured that Eve had come to continue berating her.

The door crept open and Daria popped her head around the corner, 'Everything okay? I heard yelling."

"Sorry 'bout that, sweetie, everything's okay, I promise."

"Is Ares going to be leaving for a while?"

"Oh, no, honey why do you ask that?"

"Well, when my mom and dad yelled, usually daddy left for a while."

"I see, Sometimes that happens, but Ares isn't going anywhere, okay."

"Okay," the little brown-haired girl beamed as she climbed up in bed with Xena. "Will you tell me a story?"

"That's Gabrielle's schtick?"

"What's a shick?" Daria settled in at Xena's side.

"Schtick, it doesn't matter, what I meant is that Gabrielle is the bard, I am the warrior. She tells the stories."

"I know, but she told me she doesn't know this one, that I'd have to ask you."

"So you want to hear a specific story?" Xena asked as she pulled the covers over the two of them. She knew it was getting close to the child's nap time.

"Um - - yeah, I want you to tell me the story of how you and Ares met."

Xena smiled and shook her head as she thought back to a time very long ago.

"Well, I had just lost two people very important to me, I was lost and adrift in the world. I had an army, a small band but we were a pretty rough bunch."

"Were you like that bad man that killed my mommy?"

Xena was thunderstruck. She didn't know if she should go for the truth or a white lie. The innocent eyes of the child begged the truth.

"Oh-Um-Uh, yes, Daria, I am afraid that I was," a tear rolled down Xena's cheek. Daria's small hand swatted it away.

"It's okay, Xena, you learned about love and you are okay now. I love you."

Xena kissed the crown of the child's head, "I love you too, Daria, I love you too."

Love really was the most powerful force on earth.

"So Ares found you?" Daria wanted Xena to go back to the story.

"Not exactly, my men came in conflict with his army over a village that both of us were looting. By all accounts, his men should have wiped us out. They had superior numbers and better weaponry. But I outsmarted their leader who was calling their shots. I divided my men, which went against all common sense, and sent them on flanking maneuvers. . ."

"I think she's asleep," Gabrielle whispered from the doorway.

Xena looked down at the sleeping child and smiled. She smoothly climbed out of bed, picked up her mead and walked over to her friend.

"You'll have to finish telling me that story sometime," Gabrielle smiled.

"Hmphf," Xena chuckled.

"So who was leading his troops at the time? The general that you outsmarted?" Gabrielle asked and quietly poured her own cup of mead.

"Ares," Xena answered.

It was Gabrielle's turn to laugh.

"So where'd he go?" Xena questioned as she slipped into a pair of sandals.

"He's chopping wood, not sure where Eve went but she's not very happy."

"And, I am sorry about that but I've made up my mind."

"I can see that," Gabrielle shrugged, "you coming?" That bard asked as she headed out the door.

"In a sec, I need to grab something."

Xena walked back to the bed, tucked the covers around Daria more snuggly then reached into the bedside table and retrieved the chakram pendant from inside. She placed it securely in the pouch on her hip, blew out all the candles but two wall sconces and closed the door quietly as she left the sleeping child.

x:wp-x:wp

Xena found him splitting logs. He had thrown off his vest and gauntlets and was nude from the waist up.

She took a moment to admire his form. His long sinewy arms, his strong back, and solid hips. "By the gods you are a beauty," she echoed words he had said to her before.

He put the axe down and turned to her. The heat in her eyes left him feeling flushed.

"You okay?" He asked, concerned about how the argument with Eve might be affecting her.

"I will be," she promised, "today doesn't change things between us, unless you feel otherwise.

"Oh, Xena, I'm not about to let the Bitc- -er, Eve, stand between us."

Xena's eyebrow shot up when he started to refer to her daughter by her previous moniker but then she relaxed when he corrected himself.

"You thirsty?" 

"Only for you," he answered.

Xena sauntered over to him. She could feel the pendant weighing heavily on her hip.

She reached up and kissed him, putting her hand behind his neck and pulling him in.

He returned her kiss with equal fervor.

They were both so wrapped up in the smooch that they didn't hear the crunch of Eve's boots as she walked up to them.

"Ahem," she cleared her throat to get their attention.

Xena reluctantly broke the kiss and turned to her daughter.

"Eve. . ."

Eve held up a hand to stop her.

"It's okay, I owe you both an apology," she stated.

"You don't owe me an apology, Eve, you love your mother, I completely understand your misgivings. If I were in your boots, I'd feel the same way. But why the change of heart?" Ares asked genuinely interested in the answer.

"I talked with Eli."

Ares looked at the ground, ashamed.

"You can hear him?" Xena asked.

"Sometimes, but today, I heard and saw him in the Strymon."

"Oh," Xena wished she could have seen her old friend once more.

"Yeah, he reminded me that love is all that matters and that everyone deserves love, even Ares. And he also reminded me that it would be hypocritical of me to forgive you and myself and turn a blind eye to Ares' efforts at change."

Ares swallowed hard. He never imagined that the man who he had slain would ever serve as his advocate. Maybe there really was something to all of that peace, love, and forgiveness talk.

"Eli's a wise man. It took me many years to embrace love and find peace. I still have difficulty forgiving myself. I tend to be more forgiving of others," Xena answered.

"Guess that makes me a lucky man," Ares replied.

"It makes us both lucky," Eve affirmed and took Ares' hand, "I don't fully trust you, to say otherwise would be a falsehood, but I will promise for the sake of my mother, my god, and my soul that I will support your effort to live a loving and peaceful life. If you hurt my mother, however . . ."

"If he hurts your mother, your mother can take care of herself," Xena reminded with a wicked smile.

Eve smiled back in kind.

"I'm going to see if Gabrielle needs any help with dinner," Eve hugged her mother and headed into the kitchen.

"You wanna go for a walk?" Xena asked turning to Ares.

"Sure, let me get these logs to Blondie and we can go."

"Here, I'll help," Xena eagerly offered her assistance. The sooner they finished, the sooner she could get him alone. And she estimated that they had a good three hours til sundown yet. She could do a lot with a half-naked god, a magical pendant, and three hours of free time.

x:wp-x:wp

They walked along the riverbank, hand in hand, just listening to the sounds of the birds and the water for a while. When they came to a place where the river narrowed and turned, Xena tugged his hand and pulled him off the beaten path. Ares was thoroughly enjoying himself. He didn't travel this way much, if needed to be somewhere, he tended to just travel through the aether, it was more efficient. But, he found that he liked meandering along with Xena. She led him over a hill and then down the other side until they came along a copse of silver birch trees. Ares had to admit that the scene was breathtaking. The graceful arboreal giants stood like sentinels in an almost perfect circle.

"I used to come here, when I was a kid, and daydream about what my life would be like when I got older."

"Did you ever imagine me?"

"Certainly not in this context," she smiled wistfully.

"I bet not," Ares chuckled.

Xena pulled him into the center of the grove. It was summer and the trees were fully leafed, provided a welcoming shade against the hot afternoon sun.

"I carved my initials there, you can see Lyceus' and Toris' too." She pointed to the marred white bark of one of the thicker trunked trees.

"How did you picture me? In your daydreams?"

"Well, mostly I thought about you in relation to my father. I wondered if he were one of your favorites. I feared that maybe he would do something to anger you. I guess mostly I thought of you as wrathful, something to be feared. But then again, Mother never spoke highly of you, so maybe that's why I thought you were to be avoided at all costs."

"Hmm?"

"Of course, that made the thought of you alluring too," she admitted. She had always had a little imp in her, it was why it had been so easy for him to bring it out.

"Alluring? Huh?" He smiled devilishly.

She nodded and reached up to kiss him.

She felt movement in the aether and broke the kiss. He turned her gently by the shoulders, revealing a black bear rug, two pillows, and a silver tray bearing grapes, wine, and nectar.

Xena was glad she had gone without her armor and boots, undressing would be much easier. Ares, however, had put his vest back on before they left for their walk and now she was aching to slide it off of him.

They walked over to the bear rug, She unhooked the pouch at her side and laid it gently on the tray. Xena kicked off her sandals and stepped onto the soft rug. It felt more like silk than it did coarse bear hair. She wondered who tanned the gods' hides and made a note to ask him later, she had never felt a fur more luxurious. She began to slide her shoulder straps down.

"Uh-huh, let me," he asked.

She nodded her head and let him finish undressing her. He tenderly removed her black leather and then the cream colored shift that she wore underneath. She stood before him in her black lace panties. He drank in the sight of her for a few seconds and then kissed along her jaw, down her neck and laved at her collarbone.

She moaned at the delightful shivers he sent coursing through her. She pushed his vest off and it fell with a thud to the ground. A hawk cried over head, causing Xena to look around to make certain they were alone.

"It's okay, he's probably just chasing a rodent," Ares slipped out of his boots and tossed them across the way. He then shimmied out of his pants and cast them aside. Predictably, he was wearing no underwear. His hard manhood popped free and stood at full attention.

"Somebody's happy to see me," Xena teased.

"Oh, somebody is always happy to see you Xena."

"Could of fooled me, the way he has been denying himself the last couple of weeks," Xena taunted.

"Well, we were worrried about your well being," Ares pulled back and examined her again, The bruising was mostly gone. The blackish purple splotch that had taken up most of her side had faded to a nearly unnoticable yellow. "You sure you're okay, I really don't want to hurt you?"

"I'm fine, will you quit acting like a mother hen already?"

"Maybe we should clear it with Marta,"

"Ares," Xena was getting frustrated with him, "I am nearly as good a healer as she, maybe better where battle wounds are concerned. I can use my own damn judgement, now get over here and ravish me already."

"Ravish you?" He leered.

"That's right!" She took his hand and held if for support as she lowered herself onto the bear rug.

He stood naked above her. His cock jumped involuntarily at the sight of her sprawled out on the fur wearing nothing but her panties. He dropped down to his knees and ran his hands along her long, toned thighs. He bent over and lovingly kissed the insides of her knees. His scruffed tickled her deliciously. As he kissed her inner thighs, his right hand worked its way toward her center. Her ran a long, thick finger up under her panties and along her soft cleft and parted her folds.

"So wet already, my dear?" He teased.

"Well, you've kept me waiting for days! Now fuck me already."

"How about I finger fuck you, Xena? Would you like that? Would you like the god of war to pleasure you with his deadly hands?" He slid her panites down her long legs.

"Gods yes," Xena cried and bucked her hips toward his hand.

Ares slowly, torturously slowly, slid one finger inside her wetness. She gushed sending a new wave of lubrication rushing out of her pussy onto his hand.

"My, my Xena," It was taking everything he had not to grab his cock and ram it straight up her.

Xena grabbed a handful of the bear rug with her left hand, her pleasure was already mounting. It had been too long since they had coupled fully and the anticipation was driving her insane. With her her right hand she began to manipulate her clit. Ares stilled her hand with his free one.

"No, no, no, not so fast," he said.

"Areeessss, pleassssee, I need to come."

"In good time, my love, in good time," He held her right hand at her side and continued pumping her hot center, adding a second finger as she stretched to accommodate the first. With his thumb, he began to apply firm pressure to the nub she had earlier sought.

He could tell she was close. His cock felt like it was going to explode. He thanked Gaia for his godly powers and his ability to control the need to empty himself.

Xena was breathing faster now and bucking wildly. A few more flicks of his thumb and she stiffened before she cried out his name for all of creation to hear. "Ares, my god, my god, Ares," she panted breathlessly as she rode the wave of her climax.

He fucked her with his two digits until he was sure she had reached maximum pleasure and then he slowly slid his fingers out and stretched his body out alongside hers.

A single tear escaped the corner of her eye. Her lips were puffed up, trying to control a torrent that threatened to overflow.

"You okay, I didn't hurt you, did I?" He had tried to be gentle, he was certain that he had only been bringing her pleasure, now he wondered.

"No, you big dummy, that was nothing short of heavenly. It was blissful, I'm just emotional, that's all."

He pulled her into his solid embrace. She lay there, with her head on his firm chest and looked through the verdant canopy to the patches of blue sky beyond.

"I love you, Xena," he whispered.

"And I you," she responded and turned to kiss him along his bearded jaw line. She ran her thumb along his thick lower lip. Suddenly, the urge to nibble that lip was overwhelming. She sat up and straddled him. Her cunt was still swollen and her hot fluid dripped onto his engorged member. She kissed his lips and gently bit the bottom one. He arced up to kiss her back. He placed his hands firmly on her hips as his manhood prodded for entrance at her opening.

"Uh, not yet, my turn," she stated.

"But Xena," he argued as his head slipped between her folds and pressed forward. She raised her hips denying him entrance. He clamped down hard with his strong hand and surged forward with his cock again.

"I said, not yet," she warned.

"Dammit, Xena, this isn't funny, I've waited weeks," Again his head found her hole and pressed inward.

"Ares, I mean it, no," she said again.

He was not complying. He had finally gotten what he had wanted for years. He thrust a long, slow, deep, thrust inside her. Gods he was going to come.

Xena rolled off him and grabbed the pouch.

He was thankful that she had. He couldn't stop. He began cursing himself. Just moments ago he had been thanking Gaia for all his self-control but the second they were joined he couldn't pull out even though she had been saying no. For Zeus' sake he'd even held her hips in place and forced his way in.

"Xena, I am sorry," he stammered. He had come perilously close to raping her. "You said no, I should have."

"It's okay, It's not that I don't want to do that, I do, I want to do that very much but I want to enjoy you first. The way you enjoyed bringing me pleasure, I want to do the same."

"You want to beat me off?"

"Not exactly," she showed him the pouch.

He had noticed it earlier and had assumed it carried herbs to prevent pregnancy.

At his perplexed look, Xena slipped a finger in the pouch and brought out the pendant.

Recognition was instant.

He smiled, "you kept that, all these years, you kept that?" His heart leapt out of his chest. Here he had been spent years thinking that she was really and truly done with him but if she had carried that for all those years then she hadn't ever really given up on them.

"No," Xena shook her head, "I came across it a few weeks back in that cave that we used to. . ."

"Ahhh, the cave, is that gaudy emerald still there?"

Xena nodded, "Yeah, I left it there."

"But you took that, wonder why?"

"I told myself I took it to keep it out of the wrong hands but I think we know the real reason I took it."

"Just say the word, Xena!"

She held her hand out indicating that he should give her his.

"Ares, god of war, will you submit to me?"

"My goddess, I am your slave, I am ever at your service," He answered as he lifted his left hand to her.

She slid the ring-pendent on his finger. He felt his powers drain from him but the loss was not accompanied by the normal disappointment because being in Xena's presence held its own kind of power. The power of love. He knew that he could live a mortal life with her and that it would satisfy him in a way that an immortality without her never could.

Xena tenderly nudged him on to the bear rug. She straddled him again.

"Now behave yourself, this time," She ordered.

He nodded his head, admiring her ample breasts as he reached up and cupped one in his hand.

"Uh-uh, put your hands above your head, Ares," He complied.

Xena ran her fingers through his dark hair before she began to kiss his full mouth again. She worked her lips down his jaw and chest. She nipped at his nipples lightly.

He groaned at the pleasure.

Xena continued her trek southward, placing hot searing kisses along his torso and rippled abs.

By the time that she reached his aching cock, the head glistened with his arousal. She knew without his powers that things were going to go rather quickly.

She fondled his balls gently before grasping his shaft firmly in her right hand. She pumped it a couple of times feeling it swell even more. Bending over, she took the fat head into her mouth and ran her tongue languidly along the sensitive spot at the back of his glans. He involuntarily thrust deeper into her mouth. She smiled as much as she could with a mouthful of cock. Taking more of him into her mouth, she began a smooth rhythm, bobbing up and down on his manhood, laying her tongue as flat as she could so that it rubbed the length of his shaft as she worked his tool.

Another long pass up his cock and she let his member pop free. "I love your dick, Ares. I've always loved you dick. You like this?" She asked.

"Tartarus, yes, Xena, you're killing me."

"Oh, I'm not finished with you yet," she circled his throbbing head with her burning tongue.

"You used to love to fuck my face, remember. You'd grab me by the head of the hair and make me look at you while you pleasured yourself with my mouth."

"Yeah," he groaned.

"Well, sit up on your elbows, Ares"

He couldn't refuse, until she removed the ring, he was hers without question.

"It's my turn to make you watch. I am going to fuck you with my mouth. You are going to drain your manhood in me and there is nothing you can do about it."

She descended on his cock like a Bacchae and began sucking in a quick rhythym. As she took him into the back of her throat she began a gentle humming which created maddening vibartions on his cock head. When she had engorged herself on all it, she took her finger and began massaging his perineum. His cock grew even stiffer, she knew he was close to climaxing. With a gentle prod she entered his puckering anus and he exploded in her mouth.

"By the gods," he panted as he continued erupting.

Finally, she reached up and took the pendant from him. He pulled her up into his arms and kissed her, tasting his salty semen on her lips.

"I love you, woman. By Zeus and all that's holy, you are the most magnificent creature ever created."

"You're not too bad yourself," she answered as she nestled up against him before she fell asleep in his arms.

x:wp-x:wp

When Xena awoke the late afternoon sun cast long shadows. Ares was wide awake but appeared deep in thought.

"Hey,' she said in a sleepy voice and turned to kiss him on the cheek.

"Nice nap?" he ran his hand along her arm.

"Yeah, I'm sorry I knocked out on ya," she said embarrassed. She knew he was used to it. He didn't need sleep and only occasionally indulged in the mortal necessity.

"I love watching you sleep, you are so free, your features relax, you're beautiful."

She blushed. "Where's my little toy?" She asked.

"You mean this?" He gestured to her bracelet. "While your were sleeping, I put it back the way you used to wear it. I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all, this way I will have you both close, always."

"Always?" Ares raised an eyebrow. That word had such different meanings for the two of them.

"Ares, don't ruin this," she said and sat up.

"Okay, okay," he put his hands up in surrender. They'd have to have that conversation later.

Xena popped a couple of the grapes in her mouth. Their amorous activities had whetted her appetite.

She poured herself a glass of wine and offered him his nectar.

She watched as he drank it down. She could see how it replenished him. His features softened almost imperceptibly, his skin became a little more ethereal as the liquid coursed through him.

"Ahhhhh," he let out a sigh of pleasure as he drained the cup.

Xena took a sip of her red wine and grabbed a handful of grapes. She ate another one, then feed one to Ares. They were pleasantly sweeter than he expected so he ate another.

"Do you want some cheese to go with them?" He asked.

"No, I don't want to spoil my dinner, Gabrielle is making rabbit stew, remember. She'll be upset if I don't ask for seconds."

"Ah, I see. I don't have to eat that shit do I?" Ares stomach churned at the thought.

"I suppose not but you might hurt her feelings if you don't."

"So, do you think she's getting used to having me around?"

"I do. What's more, I think you are beginning to like her."

"Well, maybe she does have her uses."

"Yes, she does," Xena smiled.

Ares didn't like the look in Xena's eye. "You think she's better than me in that department?"

"I never said that, but she is very good at some things."

"You weren't complaining earlier," he challenged.

"Well, no one can touch me quite like you, you have amazing hands but . . ."

"But what?"

"Let's just say the bard's mouth is gifted at more than storytelling."

"Oh is that right?"

"She has many skills," Xena knew she was asking for it.

"I am going to show you many skills, Warrior Princess," Ares grabbed Xena and pushed her onto the rug face down.

He lifted her hair and kissed the back of her neck and along her shoulders. He ran his hand down the length of her back, down to her ass. She raised her rear, offering him access to her cunt. Instead of taking the bait, Ares smacked her ass. The sweet sting excited her.

"Is that all you got, war god?"

He trailed hot kisses down her spine. "Oh there's plenty more where that comes from," he said and swatted her other cheek, harder.

"MMmmmm, Ares," she moaned and again arched her ass toward him. He kissed each handprint he had left on her ass.

He could smell her heady aroma as he spread her cheeks and she thrust her opening toward him again.

"If you don't hold still, I am going to spank you with more than my hands," he warned.

"Oooooh, what did you have in mind?," she asked

I'm gonna give that cunt a cock spanking if you don't behave, Xena."

"Oh, you naughty boy, you. Well, if you think you are man enough," she taunted.

"Oh no, no, no. I am going to show you things Blondie could never dream of doing to your pussy, my sweet."

Ares flipped her over and went to work peppering feather-light kisses on her burning cunt.

The light touches were maddening and she craved more pressure.

"Areeees," she begged.

He flicked his tongue hard across her bud then dipped his tongue down into her folds for a taste of the sweetest nectar he'd ever had. Her juices were saturating his beard she was so wet. He licked back up to her clit and focused all his attention there. He slid a finger into her cunt and curled the top of it inward searching for the pleasure spot on the back of clitoris. He found it and she writhed like a Fury. Spitting on her clit to lubricate it well, he applied pressure on the nub with his strong chin and began to move his head back and forth in a gentle rhythm. Xena caught on to the technique and began to ride his face. Soon they picked up the pace, him fingering her the whole time. Then at once, he felt her walls clamp down on his fingers and she cried out to the heavens.

"Areeeeeeeeeeeeessss!"

He wasted no time, he quickly moved between her legs and grabbed his cock in hand. He looked deeply into her blue depths begging permission with his eyes.

"Yes," she whispered and he pushed into her, stretching her inner muscles until he was buried to the hilt. Xena wrapped her legs around him and they began the age old dance, meeting each other thrust for thrust until the god emptied himself inside his chosen.

This time when Xena collapsed into slumber, Ares joined her.

x:wp-x:wp

At dinner that evening, after Ares had stoically suffered through the rabbit stew, Xena stood and addressed the group. All the children were there, including Mikal, who couldn't get enough of Gabrielle's cooking. Eve had also stayed. Lysa, Marta, and the wet nurse rounded out the group. Xena looked at them all, "I have an announcement to make."

Xena had already talked to Gabrielle about it and the bard supported her as always. Eve had a feeling that she knew what the announcement would be, she didn't have to like it but she did have to love her mother unconditionally. so she promised herself that she would keep her mouth shut and pray for guidance.

Xena walked around the table and stood behind Ares' chair and cleared her throat. She didn't usually explain herself to anyone. "Ares will be spending a lot more time here. We're . . .well. . .we're. . ."

"Duh, he's your boyfriend," Kallias butted in.

"Yeah, I guess he is," Xena answered.

Mikal gave the god of war a thumbs up.

Daria ran to Ares and climbed into his lap. She grabbed Xena's hand in her own small one. "Are you gonna marry him?"

"Yay, a wedding," Lysa perked up.

"Whoa, Whoa, everyone just calm down! One step at a time, okay," Xena answered.

"Are you going to give us another baby brother or sister?" Iason asked.

Xena was saved from answering the question by Amytas' crying from the other room.

"Excuse me, I'll go check on the baby!"

Xena thankfully left the room.

He only needed a fresh diaper. As Xena cleaned him and swaddled him, she thought again about having a child with Ares. Well, she wasn't getting any younger. If it happens, it happens she decided. She wouldn't do anything to prevent it.

She felt him come in the room behind her, to his credit, he did it mortal style, through the door.

"Need any help?" He asked.

"No, he's all clean now, I'm just going to put him back down."

"Okay," Ares answered and moved in closer, wrapping his arms around her and looking over her shoulder at the big-eyed infant.

"Can you go turn the bed down? I'll be there in a bit," she kissed him softly on the cheek.

"You got it. Should I pour you a glass of mead?"

With a twinkle in her eye, she answered, "Maybe something with a little more kick."

Was she saying what he thought she was saying? He swallowed hard, afraid to ask, knowing the disappointment would show if he had misread her.

"Xena?"

"Always, Ares, Always," she answered.

The End


End file.
